A Game of the Throne
by LydeaBlaze
Summary: On the Night of Blaze's 18th birthday, and 10 years on from the Calibre massacre, Eggman Nega crashes the ball not before an arrival changes odds. A war is to begin with a new enemy who replaces her father as commander, beacons the downfall of all who stand in her way... Including the surrounding realms of Mobius, Earth and Midora. May escalate to M for later violence and language.
1. Prologue & Chapter 1: Birthday

A Game of The Throne

(Revised edition)

_2014 and deciding to start again with my Sonic projects. Learning the error of my ways is something I do when it comes to fanfics and since it has been a 9 month break, I'll start anew here and around. Now, as for rating, well depending on how much language, romance, references, and violence, I am sure it is going to stay at T, but I think it may go to M. I don't know._

Prologue

2012 is the year Eggman Nega's regime stepped up, after his counterpart Dr. Ivo Robotnik, infamously known as Dr. Eggman, defected to allegiance to Mobius and the Acorn crown following the pathway his daughter had helped him create, abandoning the generations old empire ways in their family orchestrated by players such as Julian Robotnik and Denise Bridgen. Lady Katherine-Maria Robotnik, Ivo's daughter, became the first human, also first human born in Mobius, to become Lady of Acorn when Elias -very hesitantly- succeeded his father in ruling the kingdom.

Nega became a quiet player as he had raided the former base of his former ally and took many of the remaining mechas and weapons. Most of which that either did not get to be used by the Royal Army or the Mobian Resistance, or were of a minority that was set aside for either the Ferian Freedom Fighters or the Guardian Units of the Nation to decide upon.

Compared to his regime against Midora, he was more stable in planned attacks than a hellish apocalypse, because the power source, the God of the Night, Mephiles had defected to the good. The main powers of the dimensions, including a small-scale resistance army in Midora called the Midorian Resistance and the small-size army/resistance on the Angel Island Tribal Republic, agreed upon contesting and putting efforts towards finally stopping the empire. In addition, bring Nega, his wife Milena Sajava, along with their general, Anavatoia Vane, to justice for their crimes against humanity.

Blaze, in her role as Deputy Commander of the Ferian Freedom Fighters aside from Princess and heir to the Ferian throne, watched as the deal was struck with their counterparts: Commander Clarissa Cousteau of the Guardian Units of the Nation representing Earth. King Elias Acorn, Lady Katherine Robotnik and even their Defence Minister, Ivo Robotnik representing Mobius and the Acorn Kingdom. Queen Safire Prudence and her grandson, Knuckles, and Tikal representing the Angel Island Tribal Republic. Lastly, there was her boyfriend, Silver Cava, along with his mother, Queen Sifora Cava representing Midorian Fera.

Four Years pass and it is November of 2016, everyone has grown up, as we know of aside from the little-little kids. Mephiles and his girlfriend, Avira married and are now King and Queen of Midora and are expecting their first child. Elias and Megan have their first child heir together, a younger half-brother to Megan's daughter, Alexis. Katherine Robotnik and her boyfriend, Zachery Bond are engaged. Sally Acorn and Sonic are happily married with two kids. Amy Rose (Sally and Elias' half-sister, do not ask as it is a very touchy subject) is dating Vandit Latore, Kate's cousin. Marine's older sister, Raspberry, settled down and married Senator Amin while Marine herself is dating Tails. There have been some losses; Alicia Acorn sadly left a widow after her late husband's death 4 months ago.

As it is November of 2016, it is now around the time of Blaze Calibre's coming of age… and the same time as the tenth anniversary of the massacre of her family leaving only her father and her alive afterward. John, her father, is absent from the kingdom on surveillance and raid missions in Diseraya Desert, Midora Provence, on the Western Ferian Continent and has been for a few months. –Along with her boyfriend, Silver, representing the future world's forces that they are working with. Between running meetings, conferences and business trips, between running the Ferian Freedom Fighters and the senate, paperwork and public appearances, Blaze feels as though this is not new to her, as she has been groomed for this her whole life as the only heir to when, Goddess forbid, her father will die.

She just hopes that her father and her beloved Silver are doing to be home for her coming of age.

* * *

Chapter 1: Birthday

A solitary alarm clock ticks in this large chamber, naturally back in the day this was her nursery, where a queen sized bed is where her crib had been, the place where she was born, and now after many years, paint-jobs and life in general, well, you'd barely recognise it. The teenage years have brought much of a modern lifestyle of the young adult cross… antique furniture. Posters on the walls, a corkboard noticeboard with a calendar and above all else photos: Of friends, her dad, vacation photos, selfies of her and Silver, drawings even sticky notes on the wall with words, or messages on them… Most of a corner of the room, from the left side of her bed to her desk in the corner is covered with these pieces of paper, photo paper and otherwise.

Blaze sits up, her purple hair flopping all over the place as she checks the time, 6:30am. She doesn't mind being this early when the lack of… well, palace movement is peaceful without barely any noise. A bird chirp outside the window is a sign that it is an early morning start as Blaze places on her dressing gown, and ties her hair back. A knock comes to her bedroom door and she answers promptly, walking over to answer. At first, there is no one there; thinking that someone would be playing a trick on her, but at her feet there is a package. The guards must have set it there for her.

She takes the package inside and takes the letter off the top, immediately just by the writing on the front of the envelope, it is from her father. She thought if he was going to get her a gift the least he could do is give it to her in person unless… he is not going to make it. Dreading to hear the words, she opens the letter anyway.

_"Dearest Blaze,_

_If you are reading this, your hair is a mess and it is the first thing in the morning._ _I am sorry for how it would have been awakening to receive this, but you know express delivery works if you are a regal. Very express, very quick._

_I know I said that I would be giving your birthday present in person, well… This is not it, dear. This is actually some things I had gotten for your ceremonies today. Now, I know you are attending the party that Sonic is holding, so do not get caught up there when you should be getting ready for the ceremony. I know how hard it is to think of it, as your mother died then, however the least you could do is attend, representing both me and us._

_Do have fun at the party and at your ball, dear. That is all I would hope for you if things delayed here._

_With love,_

_King John Calibre (Father)."_

Today, November 20th, is Blaze's birthday, but besides that, 10 years ago a tragic massacre happened upon this same day. Every other member of the Calibre family was killed, including Blaze's mother. That night is also when her boyfriend's father, Nathaniel Cava, went missing, and for a long time is, presumed dead That is when John had a wakeup call, founding the Ferian Freedom Fighters and his mission… Destroy the Ferian Empire and a mission to groom his young only daughter to become the Queen of Fera after he is gone.

A text message comes to Blaze's phone and she picks it up…

_"Hey, PB, are you still coming to the party? I heard from Sally that your schedule sorta clashes with that event this afternoon you have to hold and I wanna know whether to hold it or not, seeing what would be convenient."_

Now, for a moment there she thought it was Sally, but then again Sonic must have used all of his credit again or misplaced his phone and is using his wife's again. –Most likely the second one when his daughter always plays games on it. She then opens her messages and writes a reply…

_"I don't mind if it clashes, you've put a lot of effort into the party I wouldn't want to seem like the one to ignore that and stuff, you know, be a bitch and all that. Besides, I'll just have to make cutbacks in hair and makeup or something to save time."_

She then waits a few moments and his reply.

_"Cool, see you at 11, PB."_

She then puts her phone down and then goes off to the bathroom. She and Sonic, known to be each other's counterparts, have been friends for a long time since they were younger and he has been volunteering with the Ferian Freedom Fighters to help Amin with running the fighters. In the absence of John and with Blaze's extra duties as regent for the moment, she has not had enough time to catch up on that the Ferian Freedoms are doing and couldn't be running the control room and everything.

She heads downstairs and heads into the commercial kitchen in the palace and the cooks are already making few of the foods for tonight's ball that take up to forever to make. Some too busy to notice that the Princess has entered the room when most of the time she –and her father- are very self-reliant towards their lives and they accept it. -The least they do half the time due to the royals' self-reliance is the laundry, cleaning and general house duties, the gardening because John does not exactly have a green thumb, guarding, obviously when they do have powers and a stash of weapons in each room of the house, and cooking dinner for guests and events.

* * *

After some breakfast, Blaze then does her morning workout: of a jog around the palace grounds, weapons training and powers training at the facility her father had put in here at the palace, finish with some yoga. As an active member of the FFF, and being the Deputy Commander, she trains every morning and twice a week at the Ferian Freedom Fighter Special Abilities Training Centre. She's been trained there ever since her powers became stronger when she was seven and her father having powers of Ice, he could contain her if she became unstable… except that hasn't happened since she was 8… but on occasion when she loses the inner focus she has controlling her flames… It is best not to think about it.

She is in the middle of warming down with some yoga when her phone makes a cheeping beep-beep-beep sound, as usual when there is an alert on. She then gets up and checks it…

_Birthday party at Mobius 11… 9:30am_

Blaze looks at it not very impressed… Where has the time gone? But then again she took the long way around the palace and did three laps, taking about half of an hour and using the simulator for about two and a half practicing some of the things she is having trouble on, as it is said that perfection is hard to achieve and with her flames it's right to say so. It's unpredictable sometimes the control she has, the sub-conscious worry of her father and boyfriend's safety is there, causing much unstableness in control.

She wishes this mission would end this long running war, delay the empire's movements a little, anything. Mobius and Earth seem to get along when their relationship is neutral, and they have their social, cultural and political issues with each other, had a five-year war with each other and many conflicts over boarders, but they had resolved their differences to cooperate a little. Fera and Midora get along as sister realms, but there is one thing that is disrupting everyone and everything and that is the extremist force known as the Ferian Empire. Fera and Midora are known to be peaceful societies where Anthropomorphic and Humans can live together in harmony under one government… however, with the Empire they caused this and will want to finish what they started.

Blaze just hope that things will actually be all right to the level that they are returning home… as it would not be her birthday without her dad nor would it be a happy birthday without the man she loves by her side.

She heads back upstairs, then gets in the shower and stands in front of her wardrobe looking to herself a little overwhelmed…

"What in the hell am I going to wear?" She mutters to herself, having good reason to ask herself that question…

Now, as a princess, coming across something that looks the least bit casual seems to be a little unlikely in a muddle of a mess of a massive wardrobe. Now, she is wondering to herself what she can wear that will be practical to be classified as formal-casual. She looks through then gets a dress with a belt, small-heeled shoes and she thinks that it is not too cold to be wearing an overly bothersome coat so she decides on a simple cardigan. Blaze sits in front of the mirror and feels discontent, what bothers her is that she will have to host the memorial and that really does not come across as easy… She has a very shaky set of social skills. Unlike her father who is outgoing and the sort of king you'd be able to have a drink with, she's reserved and due to anxiety and making friends isn't exactly easy, but she somehow made these friends she has so it's not too bad… Public appearances such as this one… ruled out greatly. The leadership skills she has when directing about thirty members of Tactical Response is fine, but with a whole crowd… not really.

Let us just hope the party will take her mind off it.

* * *

She arrives outside Sonic's place on the waterfront in Cealia and walks up to the door though the gates, hearing muffled loud music as she walks up. Balloons with crowns embossed on them hang from the mailbox, which is considered the international sign that there is a party going on. She hasn't been held a birthday party like the one Sonic has been raving on about planning for her, not one by herself at least where she is pretty much the last of her friends who are pretty much all 20somethings, most of which are already married and have kids, will be drinking. As she knows, the average rate of a Team Sonic pub-crawl is once every six months, and they had one last Halloween so… the only one likely to be blind is Amy, even when it is a little too early to be blind already.

Blaze knocks on the door, the music then is turned down a bit and Sonic promptly answers.

"Oh, hey, Happy Birthday, PB." Sonic says, greeting her warmly, before turning his head, "Hey, guys the guest of honour has arrived to her party."

Suddenly as word follows, she is draped in a pink novelty sash with "18 today" written in glitter as everyone comes to greet her. Greetings consisting of mostly either the hug and kiss on cheek, from close friends, handshakes and plain just a wave acknowledging her presence, coming from Vanilla who is watching whatever the children are doing.

The party continues, presents beside PB that the Royal Guards are minding for her, children are playing with toys and the waterslide was set up, since there has been a bit of pre-summer heat happening here. She is sitting with the girls; Kate, Megan, Rouge, Sally, Mary, Tikal and Tia-Sina and Elias was hanging around for a bit, before he ducked off with to get the baby a bottle.

"Unless he is going to finds $300 from under the sofa he is not going to get one of those new gaming consoles. Bloody, I told him straight up that when he often always makes some frivolous purchases." Mary says, before taking a sip of her cocktail

"Yeah, I don't know why but he's been a little like that since he heard grandma's going to step down soon from being leader…" Tia says

"Pre-leadership nerves… Clarissa was like that when daddy was dying." Rouge says

Mary shrugs, "I just don't know, mate… Especially how he has the money from when we used the money he got from his parent's inheritance to pay off the rest of the new house, used some of it to buy new equipment for the Resistance outpost and put the rest aside."

"Well at least were not in the next generation if you know what I mean…" Rouge says, getting a refill of her cocktail, "Sure, I've got a million in inheritance since daddy died, so does my GUN commander sister and Shadow, he works casual part-time like me and guards Kate full-time and gets a fair bit, but at least we're wise with it."

"Don't you get worried that you'll be raising spoiled kids like your dad with Antoinette?" Blaze asks, "Honestly, we were all raised with good parents who taught us all better but then again, she is in the generation where spoiled brats like her got rich for doing nothing and she fits the profile well when she gets her inheritance."

"None taken, sugar, but then again she's Clarissa's problem and she's considering sending her to one of those strict boarding schools." Rouge says with a tolerable wave of her free hand, "But I'm going to do better with my little ones, Clarissa would too if she spent a little less time in the office… Dad was too relaxed with Antoinette since mum was gone by then."

"We're sending Alexis to a really nice private school with her cousin. Of course, Alicia insists she'll be up to etiquette training when they get older…" Megan inputs, though the last part seems a little unsavoury to mention

"Yes… My mother is a traditionalist…" Sally adds

"That's not the only thing you have to worry about with her…" Elias says, handing over their newborn son to his mother, "Edward's changed and fed, he'll just be falling asleep… Even in this noise, I don't know how he does it."

"What do you think? He gets it from you." Megan affectionately quips, rolling her eyes amused with herself, "If you can sleep through the goddess-awful noise of Alexis, that night when you fell asleep on the armchair, when she tried to play Kate's violin then I'm sure Ed can sleep through all of this."

"Yep, unfazed like the kids whenever you put them in front of the TV." Kate inputs, causing all the ladies to laugh and Elias to stand there looking at his second in command unimpressed

"Oh lighten up, King serious." Sonic says, playfully hitting Elias in the shoulder, "The girls are only kidding as they always do whenever the legal ones have a few cocktails and the confessional begins. FYI, your half-sister's a little tipsy again…"

"Yeah, we know." Elias and Sally say both disgruntled and embarrassed, "Get Vandit onto it, don't come bothering us when she's barely related to us."

"Okay then… Alicia was right about the shared temper…" Sonic says, perturbed by their response

Sonic heads off, not going to let Amy ruin the party, when she is a minor and should not have been drinking in the first place. Elias and Sally just facepalm, oh if the press found out about this escapade they'd have a field day, as regrettably they are related to that through their mother of all people to have an affair. She is a semi-dedicated traditionalist at heart, then again, it was an arranged marriage with their father, and it was a very shaky time with the war and all that… Sally and Elias still find it hard to acknowledge the truth still…

"Hey, let's just take our minds off that…" Tikal says, at least one who has the courage to interrupt the total angst that the Acorn siblings have, "So, what is everyone wearing tonight?"

"I'd like to hear you hen's cluck on but… I'm gunna bounce." Elias says, going to get out of there since there is one thing only that he cannot stand and that is when they talk about fashion, which leads to shopping days and Megan… sadly making the credit card bill rise again...

* * *

One thirty already and she'll be expected back at the palace in an hour, Blaze just tunes out and while getting some of the party pies, guilty pleasure to eat junk food occasionally, checks her phone and in her messages. Many have wished her happy birthday, Amin has been sending her links all day of the media's and the people's way of saying a happy birthday to the princess, they the media (nosy pricks she says), and the United Kingdoms of Fera are fond of, that leaked all over social media… Still no word from Silver or her father… that is the real bummer here as she hasn't heard a single message out of them (**well aside from her dad's letter**) all day.

"You okay, Blaze?" Sonic asks, noticing how downcast she has gotten all of a sudden

"It's nothing…" Blaze replies, turning the phone's display off

"It's that Silver isn't here isn't it? I can sorta tell." He asks, having somewhat an intuition, not great, but not wrong either

"I'm worried he's not coming home in time… Neither is my father..." She admits, sadly "It's been so long and it… it wouldn't be my birthday if my father didn't come home nor I could… See Silver after these months he has been away…"

"Hey, if I learned anything from that dad of yours, he's punctual and loves you to pieces." Sonic says, reassuring her, "Now how about you join the party and live a little before the memorial?"

Blaze puts her phone away in her clutch, thinking what they hey and she joins in the party. Now she heard once that she has to live a little, from pretty much everyone she knows including her father, this blue hedgehog and even the goddess had said it on one occasion, and usually she's one to be serious and reasoning most of the time. Although she would check the time every few minutes up until it was time for her to go, and by then she had the cake.

* * *

Back to the Ferian Palace, where everything is ready to go for the event… and that is when she looks upon first glance onto what her father sent her for this event. A traditional crown and headdress set to complement her mourning dress. She sits there without complain as she is primped and pruned, enduring straightening and curling as they work the headdress in and put her hair half up half down, which seems to be a popular style with the royalty as it helps to hold things in place, that is accompanied with a lot of hairspray that is.

She reluctantly gets in the car, as this is something she has to direct herself this year… and worse, it just seems like another duty when she is supposed to representing her father, though she has to view it that way or it will just overwhelm her… Now, public appearances, as I had said, are not exactly her cup of tea, but this one is just the one, which is the breaking point.

Arriving at the shrine, Blaze receives the Calibre Sceptre as she gets out of the car. She has watched as her father would start the ceremony this way the last ten times, and now it is her turn. Camera crews are around, filming this live for TV and it is hard not to feel this type of pressure as everyone in the United Kingdoms of Fera and elsewhere is watching, and will be judging. Guards line the walk, dressed smartly in their uniforms and next to her is their Prime Minister who carries a wreath, along with Amin, current head of the FFF also with a wreath. Blaze takes a breath and then walks down the path to the shrine, where audience members are watching on from four metres away.

She has entered the point of no return and there is no going back now.

Blaze walks down the way that she has seen her father do so many times, as directed anyway, already telling that someone on some TV station broadcasting it live would be documenting her every move. Holding the Calibre Sceptre high with some forced pride and a forced smile that looks seemingly legit… For until she comes to the front of the shrine and the two figure heads place the wreaths aside a stand where the sceptre rests, behind a podium with a microphone set up right in front of Amin, on the left hand side of the stage. Blaze takes a breath as she walks over to the podium, Amin's handheld sits there with a PDF open to a prepared speech and everything she and the others need for this event.

"Leaders, Senators, People of the United Kingdoms of Fera, I welcome you to the tenth ceremony of remembrance to the Calibre Massacre. I represent my father, our beloved king, King John Calibre, today as my first of many official royal appearances since my coming of age today." Blaze says stifling all she can into doing this, somehow sounding faultless and confident, "All of us are here to pay our respects for the fallen. The deceased members of the royal family, palace staff, soldiers and other dear people who perished that night, we pay respect to today. I hand over to Senator Amin Rokai who will say the opening remarks."

Generous claps are given from the audience as Blaze takes a seat and Amin takes the stand. As much as she would be listening, she tunes out as it is the same material all said before, especially the prayers, definitely heard those a thousand times since she is the goddess' descendant and head of the Secret Order of Guardians. The whole thing is the same repetition of words, but the only break from tradition would be her father's speech. Every year he would write a speech and read it, some years drawing those to tears and others left dry eyes and a few laughs in between. Blaze didn't know weather this year would it be her turn to read a speech, but that is a challenge and a half in her social issued life, but… John left a speech for this year both emotional and rousing… to be read by Senator Amin.

"In the absence of my father, this year's speech will be read by our close friend and Secretary General of the Ferian Freedom Fighters and Senator for Kana Vera Provence, Senator Amin Rokai." Blaze announces, receiving some claps as she then takes her seat again

"Now, when John left we thought to ourselves who would read the speech for this year's memorial and that honour was given to me to read the words of a man whose jokes can be as a hit and miss as taking him clay shooting." Amin says, leaving a soft laughter coming from the crowd in a well-meaning joke, "So, we ended up with an email from King John with what he has to say… It's a letter by the way. He said…"

_"My people, subjects of the United Kingdoms of Fera,_

_I apologise for not being here this year, and I know it has been ten years since this dark day had come and gone, but in my mind I think heavily of it, but with these apologies, I say that you are lucky to have my daughter lead the ceremony this year. She has just come of age this year, no, today and though she doesn't have much of a strong social prominence, but I know that she will be a great queen someday._

_Now, on this ceremony day, I don't know where'd I be at this time, but what I'd hope most is that I would be here for my daughter's birthday, and I would want it to be a much better experience than this time 10 years ago. I'd hope that the friends she has made over the last 4 years are going to be there for her tonight, as I see that they are more than just her comrades, rather being like family to her and ten years ago, the REAL family was taken away from her… including her mother._

_From where I write this I say that this year will be a year of change since the wounds mayn't be far from healed in this tenth year that has passed and not just members of my family were killed that night, many of the palace staff and servicemen died that night. We have stuck together as a kingdom over these years, and may it be that the last four have been fraught with countless attacks and attempts on the kingdom; we will stick together as a kingdom. In my words, I say that the love I have for you, my subjects, means that the actions of me, my daughter, our staff and our senators put you, the people, into consideration in all out decisions. I can tell the feelings are neutral towards us from you with all the messages I receive of how you participate in celebrating my daughters coming of age._

_May this Memorial Day go well for all, as we mark 10 years since the event that changed the course of history in this kingdom, but… We have means of a celebration too, as this is my daughter's coming of age day, her birthday and we should consolidate the past, but celebrate the future of our kingdom, as I know that when someday my Blaze takes command, as I said, I believe she will be a fine queen._

_Good night and fair day and sincerely yours,_

_King John Calibre of the United Kingdoms of Fera"_

Amin takes his seat before they rise and Blaze takes the Calibre Sceptre as the international anthem of the kingdom plays, everyone singing the words and Blaze remains silent as she focuses on the sceptre and its powers… She will have to hold this more often someday and she knows that somehow, her powers are stronger whenever she holds it and she has to walk with it again as the ceremony concludes. And some relief comes when she sits in the car, as she mayn't cry at these things anymore, it still hurts her in a way physical pain cannot compare… because she almost lost control of her powers...

* * *

Music, laughter, dancing and small talk, the atmosphere of a royal ball and the guest of honour has yet to be presented. The guests are greeted by Senator Amin, since Blaze's changing times are going over the recommended timing, but it is all necessary because the event has called for her coming of age ceremony to have to be moved from the recommended time to a little later tonight, but with the food and atmosphere being entertaining, they don't care less. Guests have been arriving since five in the afternoon and it is now seven and they are from all the allied nations they have, kings and queens and their former counterparts, inner circle members, nobles, higher members of their military organisations, unexpected but then again… maybe had John and Silver arrived home?

Trumpets and fanfare plays, announcing her presence is soon to be, as the musicians cease playing for the moment. Everyone turning their heads towards some double doors, Senator Amin standing there at the doors ready to open them on his cue.

_Her Highness, Princess Blaze Calibre of the United Kingdoms of Fera._

He doors open and Blaze enters, wearing a stunning golden dress, with a tiara and headdress, and with the heightened risk looming and her insisting so, she has her swords suspended at her waist with the gold complementing her dress so no one could complain. Everyone she knows and all of her friends are here for this party and they are singing happy birthday as her cake is rolled out of the kitchen for a photo op…

Suddenly the room goes dark, only the bright light coming from the moon shining in the windows outside which are then shattered as soldiers are sent flying through them, forcing the crowd to back away and the resistance members (and other guests associated to the resistance) to draw their weapons… And what can they say, they can't leave home without them if shit like this happens, as immediately, they know they're Ferian Empire soldiers. Blaze draws her swords with much haste, alike Elias, Amin and Katherine (who too had melted the ice sculpture and wields that as a weapon). Sally and Sonic, even Megan who hurries her job of getting the children to somewhat safety (this case under a flipped over table) taking out their pistols they carry with them, Avira, Mephiles and Sifora are wielding their powers.

The nervous tension of where the empire leaders are is tested as shadows pass the windows and bellowing laughs are heard thought the ballroom. Smoke bombs are let off and the soldiers stand at attention as they have come…

"Oh happy birthday indeed to you, Blaze dear…" Eggman Nega chortles as she arises from the smoke lowering his hood

"What are you doing here, Nega?" Blaze sternly asks, everyone standing at position if they need to attack the threat

"What, no warm welcome to me either?" Anavatoia, better known as Alexis, Nega's General pipes up sarcastically from beside him, lowering her hood, "Well now, Blaze Calibre, I thought your social skills were terrible, but this is just silly."

"Why are you here?" Blaze asks again, with more venom in her voice, "I haven't the time to be playing your retarded mind games."

"Well, the birthday girl is not happy now is she? Congratulations, Blaze… You're all grown up now aren't you." Nega sarcastically retorts, beating around the bush just to piss her off, "And by the looks of it your "daddy" isn't here to bail you out this time to stop me from getting what I want."

"You'd better stand down because not even you could stand chance to all of us." Katherine growls, backing the Calibre Princess

Nega takes a step and the wall of armed resistance members stand even more ready with their weapons, "Oh Katherine Robotnik… It's been years since I last saw you and your father… By now I was beginning to miss your irritating voice and that uncanny way you bring out the failure in your family by being the cowards who follow the half-wit son of Maximillian Acorn who wouldn't know leadership if it hit him over the head."

"Oi, you sorry bastard, you leave her out of this!" Elias snaps, as he can take an insult but that is just below the belt insulting a member of the said family when she has done nothing wrong, "The Robotnik's are the ones who are the better here because they don't believe the lies they were told anymore and did the right thing."

"Oh you and what lies, silly boy that you choose to believe…" Nega says, shrugging it off like it was nothing

Blaze charges in attack, "This has gone on long enough…"

As she charges, ready to attack an ice wisp flies straight past her and hits Nega, sending him flying straight through the doors behind him and Alexis looks on frightened before drawing her weapons, everyone turning a glance to the back of the room where glowing hands are as a cloaked figure stands…

"Father…" Blaze utters, in her surprise and delight, "You're home!"

"Blaze, watch your head!" John yells from the back of the room in urgency

Blaze ducks under as a chair is sent flying over her and Alexis is about to attack when a silver blur goes over her and attacks Alexis. In the struggle, she orders the soldiers onto the crowd with every moment she could get a word in between blocks and hits… but they are all retreating in fear of John and his powers before she is taken down with a blow to her chest, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Silver…" Blaze utters

"Looks like we made it to the party." Silver quips, his marks aglow in the darkness of the room

Nega chuckles as he gets up, brushing fragments of wood off his jacket, "Well, well, well, John Calibre, again you show up at the worst times as always…"

"There is no worse time when my daughter is in danger, Jonathan." John replies, in a relaxed nature he approaches before adopting a battle stance, "And you've resisted our arrest and this time, I'm sure our allies will be right with me in saying that we will take you down, right here, right now… And if we don't… we're getting close."

"Well that is mighty foolish… Because you'll never win, John Calibre, none of you will and your kingdom will be mine… And maybe I'll even go for the rest of your kingdoms as well." Nega replies, marching forward to take stance

"In… Your… Dreams…" Blaze replies slowly

She charges ahead swords ready to attack, to once again due with her archenemy in combat, to defend her kingdom and all else from this threat, like she has always done since she was old enough to fight, before something blindsides her and sends her flying…

_"Blaze!"_

* * *

Her eyes flutter open and she stares at the ceiling… Her head and back pounding with pain and she struggles herself to sit up, and places her hand on bandages on her head and one on her back. Just muscle pain, nothing too severe she thinks to herself before opening her eyes. She is dressed in her pyjamas, her head has a bandage on it, and her hair is shockingly untidy while still in a low sitting bun, just thinking to herself that aside from whatever happened, she looks too much of a mess after it.

"She threw you hard into the present table… the only things you squashed was a couple of dresses, an iTunes gift card and a laptop cover… Nothing hard at least, though some have to re-buy some of your presents since they got a little… broken."

Blaze looks to her left, "Silver…"

Silver wraps her in his arms and she starts to cry tears of joy, as he is home, he is home and came home as she had wanted so badly for the last few months, no, the whole time he has been on this military mission. He runs his hand through her hair and gently pats her on the back, as she would have some serious bruising underneath her lavender fur from what happened.

"Oh my goddess…" She whispers, through the tears, "You're home and… You're okay… I missed you so much…"

"I missed you too, PB." He says kissing her check lightly, "Happy birthday…"

"It's happy now, Siv… It's only happy now that you're home…" She replies, shedding even more tears

"Well, I guess no one had considered telling me that my daughter is awake…" A voice says

"Sorry, sir… She's got a hold of me." Silver replies

Blaze turns around and her father stands at her door, still dressed in his royal attire and a sword by his side. She could never understand how her father would always be clean dressed, and even now when it is… whatever time it is. He calls his attire his "kingly suit of awesomeness" and has been calling it that ever since he told her that since when she was five.

"Dad!" Blaze exclaims, cheerfully

She stumbles to her feet in the excitement and runs over and hugs her father, like she was when she was a five year old. Silver sits on the bed admiring the sight with a smile, as ten dollars said she would act this way when he got home and I guess John owes him that then.

"Thank goddess you're alright…" John utters, then taking a look at her, "My, my, you've grown last time I saw you and I know it, your hair as gotten longer alright… Every day you're becoming more of a woman… I guess eighteen has now had an impact."

"Dad, it's only been a few months." Blaze replies

"Not when you're in combat with the empire, my darling." He replies, kissing the gem on her forehead, "It feels like years…"

* * *

Down in the ballroom they admire the damage, broken windows, broken furniture, bullet holes and the door is missing among all of the damages that need to be repaired. He fills her in that after she passed out, he had acted out on a rage and ended up taking Nega and their cohorts down with the others. They ended up getting the guests and the children out in the process and escorted through the passage to the ruins until fervour notice that later hour.

Blaze stumbles back as her mind flashes back to this room on this night 10 years ago… and she loses her footing, John catching her quickly and helping her to her feet.

"Blaze? What happened? Are you dizzy or seeing things without reason?" John asks, immediately worried

"Dad… I'm fine." Blaze replies

"Well I'm making you take a few days rest because a knock like that did a little damage, and it doesn't take Mary to tell me otherwise. I'm lucky you didn't break anything." He declares, with a sharp nod as if it were a decree, "Now, did you notice your present?"

"What present?" She asks, feeling confused

"Silver." He proudly replies, "Now I was planning on a dramatic reveal, but I guess those plans were dashed when Nega showed up with his soldiers after… well, let's just say our efforts were successful enough that that sorry bastard would end up retreating like the coward he is half way frozen solid by me and Lady Robotnik."

"So that's why he came here?" She asks then shaking the thought off, "Never mind… It's so good that you and Silver are home, daddy. How can I repay you?"

"A dance with my… all grown up daughter, since she mayn't need me anymore to hold her hand and protect her." He says, looking like he's choking down tears with that sentence…

"How could you say that daddy?" She asks

"Of course, I'm kidding… As I'll always protect you, my girl. But… I know that you are all grown up now. I'm proud of you, Blaze…" He says, holding out his hand

Blaze takes it, smiling brightly, "I love you, daddy."

Remembering proper form, they walk to the middle of the room, he bows and she curtseys, before dancing a waltz… Now she wasn't always one to be good at ballroom dancing taking many tries to have even learnt, but she was young and 10 years ago, she was only watching the dancing before something like this… no something worse than this happened.

"I remember when you had to stand on my feet when you were little, your mother said you had two left feet at times." John reminisces

She looks blank, visions of that night coming back to her whenever she looks around… She sees the fire and the bodies… the bloodied bodies of those who died that night… bodies of all the family members and everyone else caught in the line of fire from the gun, all which perished. The perils of that horrible year coming back to her as she sinks to the ground, tears stinging in her eyes, as the post-traumatic stress doesn't exactly go away that easily, all of the children in this generation have this in some form… and they know that.

"Blaze… Blaze…" John shakes, as his hands holding her shoulders, "Snap out of it… You're losing control of your powers!"

"Mother… Mother… No!" Blaze shrieks, her fists becoming aflame

John uses his ice powers to put it out and freeze her hands, though they melt at a rapidest pace. Silver rushing in and not needing to kick down the doors, as they're lying dismantled to the side.

"What's going on?" Silver asks, in emergency

"She's having some visions and… she… she is losing control of her powers…" John replies, with urgency, "I knew this would happen at some stage… It always happened every few years…"

"What should I do?" Silver asks

"Sedate her, please… I can't control this for long and she won't calm down…" John calmly requests, at least trying to keep it together so he can keep his daughter, whose connection with her powers has gone rogue from her usual control, can be dangerous.

Silver sighs, as he hates it when he has to do something like this, but it has to be done for the good of her because there is no telling what she can do whenever her powers go rogue from her control and she cannot contain it, and moments like these are what make the control seep away. He then kneels beside Blaze and the only way he knows to sedate her is through touching her forehead with some of his powers, a skill his mother wanted to teach him in case of times where things get difficult. He then does so, she stops and upon falling unconscious, her body temperature immediately cools down…

"I'm sorry, sweetheart…" John says, picking her up and cradling her, "Sorry you had to see all of that all those years ago…"


	2. Chapter 2: Like Giving a Title

Chapter 2: Like Giving a Title

The training simulator with Psychokinesis as his weapon while dodging enemy fire to hit those targets, even returning the fire that he manages to pick up within the range of his powers… that are nothing more than tennis balls really. Then again, it is the Ferian Freedom Fighters and their special powers training centre and the OH&S with this thing with the training equipment would rather have tennis balls than something else probably more dangerous.

Silver then completes the level and it all resets into nothing but a blank room. Blaze, Avira, Mephiles are sitting there and even the newest member of the FFF, their friend Marine too. Her jobs being a casual in Tactical Response, a part-timer in Robotics and Weaponry and a part-timer in the Infirmary, as right now she is in the middle of her apprenticeship with Mary to become a nurse like her for the resistance,. They usually all go training together, well, counting out Avira because she is pregnant now but she will come along to spot and is here on training with Marine. Usually they would challenge each other with the simulators and with the training machines, to see how many they could hit or what level they can do or a little bit of a verses bout with their powers.

"Nice one, cousin." Mephiles says, applauding slightly, "Maybe next time you could actually train a little harder than Level 10 since we've got he same powers here and yet… that's a pussy level."

"Yeah, I'd like to see you try then after you recover from a sprained wrist." Silver says, knowing he is just kidding around

"Oh is that a challenge, little cousin?" The black and blue hedgehog asks again, "I'll take you up on that later."

"I'll probably hold you to that one." The silver hedgehog replies, "Right, Avira."

"Again, you both are as good as each other… needless to say that you can't beat my score." Avira confidently replies

"Well maybe while you're pregnant we can work our way up to it." Mephiles chuckles taking his wife on his lap and embracing her and kissing her cheek

"Eww… If you two are gunna be all kissy-hugs I think I might bounce, mate." Marine complains

Blaze rolls her eyes, "And already have a boyfriend and you can't complain when that'll be you and Tails soon. Of course, no having sex until you both are married; your mother raised you better than that, Marine."

"Still." The raccoon complains, "Doesn't mean that you lot have to be all romantic like that in front of me and how could you suggest that when the same woman who is my mother ended up giving me the lecture of my life and yet… good goddess it was so disturbing."

John enters the room in his workout gear and carrying his swords, "Alright, let's cut a deal then, Marianna. Mephiles, Avira, you cut that out whenever you're in front of her and in return, Marine, care to stop talking about your boyfriend during training because we don't want a repeat of the other time when Mephiles nearly blew his head off."

"Dad, you're out of the office?" Blaze questions, because usually he trains like her in the first thing in the morning before work, "But I thought that Senate was on today."

"Well, there's nothing like a good work out before having to sit through a bunch of pollies discussing the drawling issues to do with kingdom and country…" Her father answers, sounding a little uninterested by the last part, before a clap, "Silver, how are you doing with honing that PK return fire?"

Silver shrugs, "Fine, I guess. Wrist still hurts from the other week, but its fine since I had Mary look at it."

"Avira, I trust that Marine is getting a hang of combat training, in all styles?" The dark purple cat asks

"Well she's taking to it like a duck to water, King John. I'd say she'll be battle ready in no time if we ever need her in TR. Well, I cannot do much of the training since I am pregnant so… At least I'm doing something." Avira says

John nods, "Well I'll handle that then. Marine, I do hope you can start by tomorrow morning for the stuff that Avira cannot teach."

"Will do, mate… Um, I mean, sir." Marine confidently replies, though the ending was off

"Good recovery, but here we're pretty much equal since the Midorian monarchs are right here and I use no titles." John smiles with a chuckle, "You're becoming quite the Ferian Freedom Fighter already and you've only been full-fledged for a few weeks now. Now, I may as well hit the training before senate then. Let's see how we do today because let's hope this trouper doesn't trip on his feet again."

Blaze smiles, "See you, dad."

John takes off with a slight skip in his step and Blaze just smirks to herself. Her father is usually a serious person, but often he breaks his own character and is a cheery, friendly, slightly joshing bloke. Often having a laugh while still being serious, like just now talking about training and yet he always makes jokes about himself, but it's since Blaze and her friends (excepting Marine, Tails, Cream and a few others) are now all grown up he's been doing it more.

"Anyone want to come to lunch?" Mephiles asks, "My treat."

"Since when do you offer to pay for lunch, Meph?" Silver enquires toward his older cousin, suspicious when usually Avira would be the one doing that

"Hey, just trying to be nice, Siv. We still have to work out how we're spending Christmas together. I know that as per tradition we will be meeting at the Mobian Resistance Base for the draw as to who will be hosting the Christmas party at their place, but… I'm thinking that we should start our planning now." The black and blue hedgehog replies, "You in or what?"

"Yes, we are." Blaze answers, jabbing Silver in his side with her elbow as she answers for them

"Cool." Mephiles replies, "Marine, you coming to lunch?"

"Sorry, mate, maybe next time. I promised Mary I would help around the infirmary after training. You know, since I've got my apprenticeship and everything going on." Marine replies

"Alright then." Mephiles says, "Stay out of trouble."

The teenaged racoon shoots a "really" look; as she summons a portal, "Since when do I get in trouble?"

"Angel Island, you and Tails, Easter, any of that ringing a bell?" Mephiles bluntly reminds her

"Oh that was that one time…" Marine scoffs, "I'll see you later at the Resistance Base."

With a quick wave, Marine goes through the portal and the group just gather their things. Blaze brought her swords to training as she often worries that she is losing her touch, ever since the other night, she has felt like the lapse of control… has damaged her somehow. Her swords, with some melted parts around her fingers, although John had said that he would have her swords fixed, she then says that she preferred her handles this way, as she finds it a little easier to control. –John just obliges, as the Calibre tend to have weaker control over their powers when they're still growing up, even the master himself admits he had control issues like she has sometimes.

"Blaze, you want me to take your bag to the car, since Avira says that she'll be pulling round front anyway." Silver asks

"Yeah, thanks, babe." Blaze replies, only getting what she is getting changed into out of the bag, "Meet up with you guys in five."

"Don't keep us waiting, PB. Avira can be a crabby pregnant woman when she starts feeling peckish." Mephiles quips, earning himself an unimpressed glare from his wife, "What? I'm only kidding…"

"Yeah, before I can rebut, because I am not in the mood right now to do so, give me the keys." Avira replies, abnormally calm though resisting the urge to PK to flick his ear, hard

Mephiles then hands over the keys, Silver follows Avira out to the car, she unlocks it and Silver puts his girlfriend's and his bags with his weapons on the back seat for now, as he gets in on the passenger side. Avira gets in on the driver's side and once again has to adjust the seat, because she just has a particular way that she has the seat when she is driving before starting the car and switches between the reversing camera and looking out the back window as she reverses.

"I hate reversing out…" Avira mutters to herself, "And this bloody car park. If John was going to build a world-class facility, the least he could have made sure is that the car park isn't hell and a half to use."

Silver nods, agreeing with his cousin's wife, "I might have to ask John what the deal was with this two-story parking nightmare and why it is so… difficult at times."

* * *

Sanya Faye, the coastal city of the Ferian Central Continent, the otherwise beautiful sister city of historical capitol, Daya Coule, is lined with little café's and restaurants and the diversity through food is astonishing when only about 1/3 of their population is non-Ferian (i.e. from their sister realms such as Earth and Mobius). For Blaze Calibre, whenever she goes about the streets and the ally-ways that have little cafes and stores tucked neatly in them, it all conjures up many memories from the past of when she, her father and her mother on their holidays before her mother (and the rest of the family, mind you) died when she was eight. She remembers them when it was only about a decade ago, but she misses the innocence of the times.

"Hey… PB…" Silver's voice echoes from inside her head, snapping her out of her reverie, as he is actually talking to her, "We're here, you know. You can get out of the car…"

Silver and Blaze share a smile, as she just always finds it funny, though embarrassing the times when she spaces out like that, her thoughts just a little too deep sometimes when she is the heir apparent of the United Kingdoms. Having already had a taste of what the future will bring from her months as a regent, if she is unwed by the time her father either dies or passes on the crown, but with Silver in her life, she thinks to herself a possible future they would have sometimes.

They find a nice little café and decide to have lunch there… that and Avira said that she would like to have a rest from walking the streets a bit window-shopping. Too admiring the scene of the citizens of Sanya Faye preparing the city for the holidays ahead and the summer is a time where the Ferians have most of their celebrations. Sure, they have variations of Earth holidays (mainly Christmas), and have their New Year's, but they also have the Festival of Light, the Coronation Day Celebrations, the Fera Day Celebrations and all sorts of other things on for the next three months. Silver and even his cousin who is the king now, often wondered why Midora had been so… distant to their Ferian roots, as they don't celebrate half of these holidays during the summer months.

While they wait for their food to come, they have their phones out and are looking on their calendars, as this is not just a friendly outing for lunch that Mephiles is shouting. John has to give them either less duty to the FFF over the summer holidays (since the Ferian Senate is going to wrap up for the year in a couple weeks anyway along with other political intuitions) or they have to have more public holidays around these events. –Because coupled with their duties to their kingdoms (Mephiles getting the most as a king now and Sifora is indeed out of the political side of things) since their coming of ages over the last twelve or so months, they've gotten bombarded with work.

"Alright, how about the fourth of December, next week, for Christmas shopping and backup day being the ninth? Anyone not available then before we make it official?" Silver asks, before silence, getting the hint that there is no objection, "Alright we have booked the fourth for shopping and obviously we have the Christmas party to worry about on the day."

"Well, we had it last year, so we're not getting it?" Mephiles says, taking down the note on his calendar at the same time, "Neither will Sonic and Sally since they hosted the last noteworthy event of this year before the holidays start."

"That just leaves me, dad and Silver with the Robotnik's, Eli and Meg…" Blaze starts

"And the matriarch, if they'd get it she'd be bound to take it all over and want to make it a Christmas party to remember." Silver inputs, interrupting his girlfriend midway through her sentence

"Yes, yes, the Cousteau's, The Prudence's, Amin and Raspberry, the Pericade's and a few others." Blaze says, analysing the likeliness of being picked to have to host Christmas at the palace and finishing her once-interrupted sentence

"Unless they consider the empire a problem since the birthday party and would have you exempt from your turn, if chosen, for hosting." Avira says

"Oh that'd be hell with the events we have to do. John insists on Blaze to be attending every event and will have to attend pretty much every ceremony and so will I." Silver grumbles

Blaze sighs with discontent, "And this year I was planning on seeing if I can finally attend the street parties in the Festival of Light, but then again Dad is trying to make me get used to what will be…"

"I know what it's like to inherit something that just seems so strange…" The black and blue hedgehog says "But then again, you'd have to get used to it like you said, but… it comes with some perks within the cons. inherited burden or not, it still counts as a job and you'd make a fair bit."

"Explains why you often have a little expendable income that you haven't been spending on the baby." Silver quips, looking over his shoulder as their orders have come

"So I'm using some of the antique furniture, so…" Mephiles closes, starting on his lunch

Now, as far as the public are concerned, there may be royals in public, three from their sister kingdom 200 years in the future, but they do respect their privacy indeed (on most occasions, the press do abide, and the rest… well, do go reading the tabloids then), but they will be on occasion asked for selfies and autographs. Nothing more nothing less since King John of these kingdoms is beloved in their eyes, and like their Mobian counterparts, they are monarchists.

They just have their lunch, unbothered really and cousins Silver and Mephiles are having a bit of a contest of who can drink their frappe first without getting brain freeze while their partners just watch on unappeased. Blaze just waiting until one of them cracks because they can act as uncivilised as they please, but she does wish that sometimes they would act within their titles… -The feline herself unable to get brain freeze because of her flames, an advantage.

"Ha-ha!" Mephiles cheers, victorious after only a few minutes, "Looks like you owe me $20, little cousin."

"Damn it…" Silver mutters, getting out his wallet and getting out a $20 dollar note, "Next time, I'll probably put you up against KJ or Katherine Robotnik and see what happens when we have the Prince of the Night in the SO verses the God of Ice and the Goddess of Water."

"Yeah… They'd probably kick my ass at that…" The older cousin hedgehog painfully admits, knowing a defeat there when he sees one

Blaze's phone goes off with the beep-beep noise, obvious signal that she has gotten a text, two in fact, and it happens again, but a different set and she knows that one is a calendar event for the drawing that they are going to have today.

"Guys, Sally… Well Sonic… Texted me that they've had to move the draw to theirs." Blaze mentions, reading from her phone screen, "And they've had to move it to four, okay."

"Alright then." Silver says, "Just got the text."

"Got it too so… I wonder how much credit that guy uses when he sends mass texts then." Mephiles replies

"I dunno." Silver shrugs, finishing off his frappe, "Sally's phone's on a plan so how am I supposed to know how much leniency she has toward her hubby using her phone… Aw fuck… brain freeze!"

They all but laugh as Silver over dramatizes his brain freeze and Blaze just merely rolls her eyes, as much as she would think it hurts, maybe her boyfriend just dramatizes it a little too much, but she finds it funny that way. Then again, she would not really know what it is like anyway because of a natural immunity that she had been born with. –Her flames.

* * *

The Diseraya Desert, Midora Province, Western Ferian Continent, a unhospitable, harsh sandy terrain extending much of the whole of the province. Sand dunes for as far as the eye can see until you come across… a large compound which takes up much of the space they can within the middle of the harsh terrain. The headquarters of a major operation, ominous and fitting into its surrounds so well, in which aims in multi global domination within the next four, maybe five years from now known as The Empire of the Ferian Revolutionaries… Alternately known as, The Ferian Empire.

Soldiers march within the large courtyard outside the mansion, no short of a small castle of their leaders. Waving flags with the Empire insignia on them and banners with the colours of the empire, red, black and grey, fluttering with every step of the march as they have practiced accordingly with much time. Although these last four months met with conflict with the Ferian Freedoms and the Ferian Army, and their aligned partners the Midorians, Mobians and even agents from GUN and after their leader's retaliation the other night… Nega takes defeat graciously, cutting close calls for he would want to be here to celebrate this fine day.

"Attention!" Alexis, the empire general, orders, her soldiers falling in line obediently and stand at attention

Fanfare plays from two trumpeters at the top of balconies on the mansion, Alexis turning around to face forward as she is dressed elegantly in her royalistic attire. Donning a floor length grown, a rich purple with gold-outlined floral design for the chemise and the over layer of the skirt and for the under layer of the skirt light lavender of colour. The hem of the dress, the neckline and the ends of her sleeves of a gold colour, along with the details of her blouse and her belt suspended on her waist with her sword and a gun by her sides and a same coloured sash with her medals proudly displayed and gloves that go to her wrists. She has a necklace piece hanging from her neck with a headpiece on her head with her blonde and purple hair tied behind it and blonde and purple curls hanging onto her face.

Cutting into most of the stairs at the empire castle mansion there set a stage, where the attention drawn to, decorated with the colours of their empire and a podium to the side of the stage with their emblem on a shield on the front. The fanfare comes to a pause and it all goes quiet.

_"Presenting their imperialness, our illustrious leader and soon to be conqueror of the United Kingdoms of Fera, Emperor Jonathan "Eggman Nega" Reliagh and wife, Empress Milena Sajava."_

A round of cheering and applause come from the onlookers, the loyalists to the cause (mostly would be aristocrats, ex-aristocrats who disapprove of the Calibre interference, would have sided with them since either they would be with him or be jailed when he does take charge) and the families of the soldiers that stand at attention behind Ana. The doors to the house open and their leader comes through, dressed smartly for the occasion in an outfit that would better suit a king than an evil dictator wannabe and a variant of his usual outfit, and his wife draped at his arm. Milena dons a navy blue gown with golden design and detailing on the corset style chemise. The centre of the corset and of the middle of the dress has a lace layering over a lighter blue, her hair down behind her back, a simple ornate circlet on her head matching a necklace and a set of bracelets around her wrists and lace gloves completing the outfit.

A simple wave to the crowds comes from the pair for the few moments before stepping down to the stage; Nega helping his wife to a throne to the right of what would be his own and sooner standing beside the door again as the fanfare plays again.

_"Presenting her elegancy, our future heiress of who we celebrate today, future Empress and leader of this empire, the only daughter of our lord and emperor, Lady Saraphina Reliagh."_

The guest of honour, Sara, the daughter of Eggman Nega steps into view and her presence applauded by their followers as she exits the house. Donning elegant formal attire consisting of a golden floor length gown with pale, nearly whitish, yellow for the many intricate designs and pears among the detail on her neckline, corset and on her skirt and lace distributed like her mother's, however on her cuffs of her sleeves and on the top of her gloves. The end of her coffee brown hair hangs loosely underneath of a constricting bun at the back of her head with a beaded piece to keep it in place. An ornate headpiece rests on her head with a single sapphire sitting about her forehead with strings of pearls hanging from it either side to accompany the strings of pearls around her neck.

"Sara… My daughter, our subjects had turned out to celebrate this day with us. How about gracing them with a smile and a wave, hm?" Nega speaks, slightly drowned out by the cheers

"And you wouldn't be here if Aunt Ana didn't withdraw you from your attacks on the Calibre few days ago." Sara coldly reprimands, displeased to the fact, "Father, I implore you to take less risks while I am still young…"

"You sound too much like your mother…" Her father responds, taking his daughter by the arm, "And yet I shouldn't be surprised… you _are_ almost alike your mother."

They head down the stairs and Sara resumes her place to the left of her father's throne, her mother taking her hand and patting it imploringly, as if it is a sign that she shouldn't question her father's decisions sometimes, even now that she is of age to be a commander. Emperor Reliagh takes his stand at the podium and a hush comes to the crowd upon his clearing of his throat.

"Soldiers of the army, ladies and gentlemen in the audience and special guests, I do thank you for attending today." Nega says as his introductory notes, before another clearing of his throat, "As you may already know, my daughter, Sara is sixteen today and this ceremony is for her and after the events of the last four months and of the twentieth, I would have thought that I was indeed not going to make it. However, I am here am I not? This is a day of celebration of her coming into this world some sixteen years ago, but also… a naming ceremony as our newest commander in which I hope someday she will succeed me whenever I decide on passing on the mantle."

Sara stares out firmly to the crowd she considers her people, her subjects with a critical grimace when she would think of all the judgement she would get from their expressions. Saraphina is the only heir that their leader could manage from any of his three marriages, being the daughter of his third (and current) wife and yet her existence is either a blessing or a curse among contrary opinions though they have not given her the chance… She does not exactly approve of much with the loyalties of some who are only evading jail for if her father does conquer the United Kingdoms of Fera, as their loyalties may be to empire and country, but down to it all, they are leeches contributing only money in the effort. Some may say she has her father's discerning eye for judgement, but it is more complex than they think.

"…To my beloved Sara I do say that I am confident that she will be a wise and just ruler whenever the time comes and all I can say for now is that she will fit in well in her role as a commander of this army alongside her honorary aunt, our army general, Anavatoia Vane." Nega continues his speech, "And without fervour adieu, I do think I'll shut up and let the celebration continue before this coronation."

The emperor says to a round of claps and cheers at the end as he goes to sit with his wife and daughter as Alexis leads the army in the celebrations they have planned as she barks out the commands. Displays continue with a marching band ensemble, dancers and all else joined the ensemble for the ceremony celebrations. They may be brutishly and strictly empiric and against the Calibre, but they are indeed traditional in their Ferian heritage and beliefs. …Well most of them.

When it finishes, Alexis' one order sends everyone into silence and attention and the cheers of the crowd of citizens watching roar from the stands as Alexis herself has an appreciated smile on her face, turning around as she walks to the stage and waving. It could get to you the applause of the loyalists, before she would see their leader looking at her unimpressed, as sign she needs to take the stage, right now. Taking to the stage up the side steps and is handed a box as Nega takes the podium again, Sara and Milena rising from their seats to come aside Alexis.

"Well, my judgement of the presentation is neutral, good job, General Ana and everyone." Eggman Nega says

"Thank you, my lord." Alexis replies, noticeably quieter behind him, still feeling the feeling of appreciation

"My daughter, Sara, is now going to be named as a commander and heir apparent of this empire and her titles will mean that she will be an active member of our community, our army and our domain. If she is a little like I, hopefully, she'll take to this role as a duck to water and over time will become a great leader." He continues, looking toward his wife who opened the box Alexis holds and picks up a medal, "And say what you will… as long as I don't hear it and call it treason."

Milena pins the badge on her daughter, "You have grown so much, my daughter… It seems only yesterday that you were in diapers and crying in the nursery and now… you are a commander and sixteen. Like Ana when she was your age… It seems like a tradition, dear."

"Thank you, mother." Sara replies, admiring the badge that rests on her breast as she then faces the crowd and wave toward their adoring cheers with her parents and aunt.

* * *

Alicia dashes back and forth the kitchen of her daughter's place with plates and bowls with snacks, Sally picking up after her toddler right now since they'll be having company, since she has handled the bathroom and the rest of the house. Now, this is taking a little long since whenever Manik is outside the playpen the little one leaves toys and rusks behind everywhere he goes around crawling within a room, confined by the baby gates that are around.

"Mum… You really didn't need to come over." Sally says

"Oh nonsense, Sally." Alicia rebuts, entering the room with a tray of celery and dip and placing it down on the table, "You are hosting this thing and yet with that little one I wouldn't think you'd need a little help when you've spent about an hour sleeping and about an hour cleaning up. Someone had to be operating the kitchen and Sonia has been quite the dear in helping little ol' nanny with the baking…"

"Yeah, mummy, baking is fun." Sonia calls, coming out with some cookies on a plate, "Nanny says that it's not a gathering without her cookies."

"Of course not, dear." Alicia says, taking the plate from her four year old granddaughter, and placing it on the table, before taking off her apron, "Now wash up and I think a change of dress is in order… you have flower and icing and dough everywhere on you I cannot tell what is my granddaughter and what is food. Even with an apron… Dear me."

"Okay…" the young girl says, nodding her head and running up the stairs

It seems to go quiet, aside from the cooing noises of the 11 month old in the background in his playpen, and when it is this quiet it seems to be a sign that a certain "issue" will rise again. Now, as much as Sally loves her mother, she has noticed that ever since her father died, her mother has become what they now call "The Matriarch", another title beside Queen Mother that means that she is head of the household. She may be a little bit traditionalist, on occasion putting her traditionalist ways aside because her children and their happiness matter more than her stance on things, but she has become very controlling on occasion.

"Sally, we have to have a talk." Alicia says

"Mum, again, we're sending our children to private school, so will Eli with his children." Sally quickly retorts, "There is nothing to it and frankly, I am sick of you brining that up."

"Private school aside, Sally, I do not feel comfortable that my granddaughter, nevertheless both her and Alexis, will be attending a school in Cealia here… When you know what threat seems to be on the rise and has been on the last four years." Her mother protests, "That Eggman Nega could kidnap Sonia and/or Alexis and… Oh i don't want that to happen."

The daughter takes her mother's hands, "Mum… It will be fine. If you can put the traditionalist side aside for a minute and bring some reasoning, you'll know that this would be the best for my girl and for Alexis. You just got to stop with the… Matriarch panic."

"I'll allow it, but the minute something goes wrong, Sonia is being home schooled by tutors in the palace… AND I still get to teach Sonia etiquette. And you tell your brother the same thing, just reword it. Agreed?" Alicia says, trying to come to an agreement with her daughter

Sally nods, "Agreed."

Acting like this convocation never happened also is what happens afterward as silence comes to the room. Sally Acorn, relinquishing her victory with her mother "the matriarch", with a smug smirk, as that happens now since winning those disagreements seems to be like an accomplishment, just putters around the room before picking up her infant son.

"Sal, I'm back from the-"Sonic says as he enters, before noting his mother in law and pausing for a few moments, "Oh, afternoon, Alicia. Didn't think you'd be here…"

"Well with Sally basically in between naps and caring for the kids, I think she needed help setting up for tonight." Alicia says, "You can't blame a mother for trying to help. It's what we do. And you should call your mother once in a while, Sonic… She worries about you all the time and she thinks email or Facebook isn't exactly talking."

"Whenever I am not dealing with a "soda on the computer" grade fuck up again I'll call her, thank you." Sonic says, trying not to sound annoyed with his mother in law, but still inwardly shows little annoyance to her… prying.

"Daddy!" Sonia shouts

Sonic turns around and scoops his daughter in a hug and kisses her cheek, "Hey, kiddo. Smells like you and your grandmother have been baking."

"Ah-huh." She nods, excitable to the least, "Nanny and I made cookies for the thing that you're holding."

"Explains what that peculiar smell is… Mum you should bake more at home instead of taking over Sally's kitchen, for serious." Elias says, entering the household, with his daughter, Alexis, holding his hand, "Hope we're not intruding on anything, but… the only window I had in getting out of the palace was now or be late and I really hate it when we're kind of late to something."

"Now, Elias. I am not taking over Sally's kitchen… I'm just contributing on my part and also making snacks for this thing." Alicia rebuts, receiving a look from both her children, "Now don't give me that look…"

"Oh, hey." Sonic says, acknowledging his brother in law's presence, interrupting before it gets worse, "It's good you're early for once, instead of on occasion running late."

"Completely agree… Especially with Ed and-" Elias says

"Dad, can I have one of nanny's cookies, please, please." Alexis asks, interrupting her father

"Well, of course, dear." Alicia says, taking one and kneeling beside her granddaughter and giving it to her, "Although I wouldn't think you'd need any more sugar because you're already sweet."

Elias looks behind him and goes toward the door and opens it for his wife who brings the pram in with little Edward asleep in it, carefully manoeuvring it over the step at the door to bring it inside. The baby twinging a little with the bump of the pram as he is brought inside, but remains asleep.

"Afternoon, everyone." Megan says, wheeling the pram in, and putting it by the lounge, "FYI, Kate, her fiancé, her dad and cousins are here."

From the first few guests onward, everyone starts to arrive and by the time Clarissa Cousteau and other GUN members of their group come, the whole room is filled with everyone and the level of noise is subsequently loud. Even so that they do hope that they'll be able to get everyone's attention when it comes to the main event here, the draw of who will host the Christmas party this year.

Sally picks up a triangle and starts hitting the sides with the baton and the noise get everyone's attention, everyone facing toward her and Sonic.

"Right guys, we're all here for a reason and let's get this underway." Sally says, looking to Sonic for a moment as he gets the hat before looking back to the eyes in front of her, "Now Mephiles and Avira hosted last time and since we hosted PB's 18th we have right of repeal. Again, you have to have a reason to repeal, but it has to be a legitimate reason."

Sonic shuffles the pieces of paper within the hat and then picks out a name, "Alright, a name drawn is Prudence."

"I have to repeal on our behalf, Sonic. We're doing a fair bit of construction and renovation right now." Safire says, on the behalf of their family

"Okay, understood. Next name drawn…" The blue hedgehog replies, drawing another name, "Oh it's me and Sal. Repeal, we hosted the last event. Alright, third time lucky then…"

Drawing another name, he pulls out another card, "Alright, Robotnik/Bond's. Accept or repeal?"

"I guess it would be alright… We haven't a thing to repeal on and the girls, and maybe Zachery, would honestly have my hide if I decline so… accept." Ivo says on the behalf of the family

"Then its official, the Christmas Party this year will be held at Robotnik Manor with the family as the hosts." Sally says, adjudicating over the decision, "And I can tell that Soph already looks exhilarated to be hosting."

While everyone breathes a sigh of relief that they were not picked, they share a laugh and Sophia Robotnik only shrugs in response to that. Knowing that she often, to no avail getting to, has wanted to host a party for as long as her daughter, Hope, has been grown up enough to handle herself (and that has been roughly since she was 12 years old).

"I guess we have that sorted unless we have anything else to cover. No? Well, gathering adjourned I guess. Good that everyone could turn up for this one." Sally then says

"Well when you're being picked to host halfway between small-scale to big-scale a social gathering, I'd think that the person most likely to be dobbed in should be here to repeal it otherwise." John quips, "Democracy in its simplest form, that's what I always say."

John's joke receives a few laughs, as it is indeed true. King Calibre always has a way of finding a joke within the matter, one of the reasons why everyone likes him, especially his leader counterparts in monarchies, republics, and countries within the Alliance Against Empire Domination. Some may say that the Calibre Charm has been passed down to this leader, as the Goddess herself had the same charm about her personality when she was Queen of the United Kingdoms, her subjects had adored her as much as they adore her descendant/s.

* * *

After everyone clears out, the few that had stayed to help with the cleaning up (and since they're thinking of going out to dinner anyway). Megan and Zachery getting the plates and cutlery off the table in the parlour, Alicia had decided on doing the washing up, the older two grandchildren helping with the drying (at least it gives them something to do while the grown-ups are busy) and since it is her kitchen, Sally is putting things away before everything is out of place. The rest remain in the parlour, mostly watching Sonic's 11 month old son crawl around.

"Little bugger got into the plant yesterday and was eating some of the dirt…" Sonic says, getting up and directing the little one away from it again by picking him up and setting him down by some blocks, "Mum reckons that I was no better… but I'll be the judge of that."

"How is Lady Aleena anyway?" Elias asks, "She still on holiday?"

"Yeah, still on holiday and enjoying it according to the emails of photos she keeps sending me." Sonic replies, "She did offer for me to go, but… I have other things to worry about lately."

"The empire presence since the attack on Blaze's 18th…" Zachery says, coming back in to get some plates, "In my talks with the Ferian Foreign Minister he has been assuring me that Mobius, even Earth is under no threat. However, from what I hear on the updates I get from the FFF… They say differently however, today… Fate have it that there was a coronation."

"Someone was coroneted?" The king utters with question, "From what I had heard of the Ferian Empire, equally from King Calibre, Ivo and even from my late father, you'd have to be good friends with the man behind it or of blood to his to be a commander. Who the hell could of that been to, do you know, Sir Zach?"

"You guess is as good as mine, Elias." Sir Zach replies, "However there is a rumour that he has a daughter."

"A daughter?" Sonic says, surprised, "I wouldn't think any woman would have a child with that prick… No sex appeal aside, his personality and the fact that he pretty much massacred millions in Midora… pretty sure one of them killed themselves or something and I'd wouldn't blame her if I were married to him."

"Well, let's just hope John keeps us as informed as normal… because their cabinet isn't exactly informing on the Empire." Zach says, going back to the kitchen with the plates he had collected up

"Do you know anything on that, Kate?" Elias asks, looking to his second in command. As her father, formerly the Infamous Dr Eggman, tyrant of Mobius, was formerly aligned with the Ferian Empire, she almost has much knowledge of their affairs as her father.

Katherine shakes her head, "I'm afraid it's a no, Eli. I've never heard anything that Nega would have a daughter, not sure if my father has either. Eggman Nega is a very… confusing individual indeed and from all my encounters with him while my father was still a tyrant, however close my father and he were, Nega wasn't exactly always willing to discuss some things."

"So it remains a rumour for now, unless for until John would confirm it." Sonic utters, going to pick up his 11-month-old son, Manik, "Now how much longer? Because, I am kinda hungry and as much as a snack table was appealing, actually have been waiting for dinner because, well… I guess my mother was right about a ruined appetite."

"Oh please, Sonic, you eat as much as the kids and they're often little piggies…" Sally says, coming out of the kitchen, drying her hands with a tea towel, "We're pretty much done the dishes. I'll get Sonia's shoes."

"Well I got the little one then…" He says, taking the bib off his baby boy, "Honey, while you're at it, get a new bib before he drools all over himself."

It is not necessarily the parents who have to get ready, they have been ready for about since they arrived, and the only thing they had to do is make sure they didn't accidently spill something on themselves. Sally gets a pair of shoes her daughter, while getting the bib for their younger son, who seems to drool a lot, handing it to her husband as she come past and tells her daughter to sit down for her.

Alexis comes out of the kitchen and climbs up next to her father, Katherine moving over a bit for the Duchess of Acorn, her "niece", as she ends up tugging on her father's jacket.

"Daddy, daddy." Alexis says, "Daddy can you please do my hair?"

"Alright." Elias says, "Kate, if you don't mind taking Ed for a minute…"

"Its fine, besides I am his aunt, am I not?" Katherine replies, getting up and coming around to be handed little Edward, "Come to your aunty, precious…"

The reaction of the infant is to cry when he is away from either of his parents; Kate just starts walking around to calm the little baby, her little "nephew", down. She laughs to herself, as when he calms down, the little squirrel lays his head on her chest, falling sleep and his hand gripping to her clothes. The little one must be a bit restless, she thinks to herself, and Edward seems to like her all of a sudden.

"You seem to have a knack with babies, Katherine." Alicia comments, coming out of the kitchen and admiring the sight

"Well I wouldn't say handling a sleepy newborn squirrel that i am a named aunty to would be much to pass judgement on." Katherine rebuts, "Hell, he and Elias are both one and the same with their insta-sleep thing."

"I could only hope that you and Sir Zachery will be blessed with children someday soon." The queen mother chirps before a cheery sounding giggle

"Mum!" Elias and Sally exclaim in unison, thinking the same thing as Lady Robotnik and Sir Bond are thinking

"I wouldn't think that soon… I mean. We're only engaged and well…" Zach protects

"We're not really planning to have the wedding anytime soon because we're so busy so…" Kate tries to say making sense of the situation

"Elias and Sally Alicia Acorn, both of you do not give me that look." Alicia says

"You know… saying stuff like that makes people very uncomfortable…" Elias reasons, "Zach and Kate are only engaged for now and they're probably going to wait a while before they do decide weather or not to have children. Sally and Sonic did the same and so did Megan and I, minus waiting for Alexis to be old enough."

"Why don't we change the subject?" Zach says, checking the time, "We're going to be late for our reservation if we keep dawdling like this."

"Well come on then." Sonic says, "I'll probably beat you there if I…"

"Sonic, you're driving this time." Sally says, taking Sonia's hand while opening the door, "So that means no running."

The blue hedgehog sighs with annoyance, as he hates it when he has to drive somewhere, as he is the fastest thing alive and he could run faster and he could go quicker than he could in the car, obviously obeying the speed limit there, "Alright then…"


	3. Chapter 3: The Christmas Party Attack

_Twenty-two pages and 12,000 words and finally finished… for now at least. This is the longest chapter ever in my hobby of fanfiction writing and actually has a lot of effort in it due to how long it is and how long it has been since an update to this redo. Definitely not original plot at all for all that you will see and hear ahead… Also, it will be continued on next chapter. I just had to end it here before it got TOO long._

* * *

Chapter Three: The Christmas Party Attack

_"Christmas, a time of celebration and merriment and all about family in my case and when I was little I would enjoy the holidays a lot. I remember the ones I spent when I was little, especially when my younger sister, Sally, was a baby. My father loved the holidays and always took a break from his duties to spend it with mother and I, even when times were a little turbulent back in the day with… well read a history book because I would honestly take a while to explain it all. _

_It was brilliant, with opening presents and everything else that I sadly cannot really remember since I was a little kid back then. I was always the first up. Although I seemed like a little pain in the arse by going to my parent's chamber at six in the morning to wake them, they were as happy as I was and, the bickering didn't happen unless my father gave me some sort of present that my mother disapproved of (a slingshot and a crossbow being among the list). Among all of the things that made that time of the year special, including the traditions my father had told me that he grown up with when he was little like I was, it was the closeness of our family that would make it special, and friends too, not just the gifts._

_My father sadly passed away this year from terminal illness, only a few months before my son, Edward, was born. Even when he was very sick, he enjoyed the holidays as much as he used to and often wanted to keep tradition alive. As much as I hated my father sometimes for whenever he was being inflammatory, completely hostile and sometimes a total asshole, and we had our fights, but... as they say it is unconditional love in families and I loved my dad regardless of how much we fought. _

_I want to keep the traditions of the family alive, as much as I am not a traditionalist like my parents; but I would want to have Alexis to enjoy the holiday season and… for Edward to have a memorable first Christmas, even if he's barely old enough to know where he is sometimes._

_And just wait until Alexis comes into our room at six in the morning… now that is the true sign that she is just a little like me… even if she isn't my daughter by blood, she's still my girl."_

* * *

The door to the bedchamber creaks open as little giggles disturbs the silence as she pokes her head around the door, noting that her parents sleeping in the bed in the middle of the chamber. She then scoots in and the door closes behind her with a slight creak before a click of the latch. The cheeky little girl then dashing over to the bed with her parents in it and going up to her father.

"Daddy, daddy, mummy, mummy!" Alexis calls, poking her father in the face, which his reaction is a twinge and a half, "Daddy wake up, it's Christmas, daddy! It's Christmas, mummy!"

Elias is first to wake up and picks up the four year old, "By sure it is, my sweet. Meg…You may want to wake up before Lexi ends up jumping on you again."

Megan yawns, "Eli it's too early…"

"Mummy, wake up, please, please. We have to open presents, mummy." The young girl chirps, shaking her mother slightly, "Baby Ed has to open his presents too, mummy. Ed can't miss out on presents, mummy."

"Settle down, Alexis." Her father says, chuckling a little, reminding him of how he was when he was her age, "We still have the whole day ahead of us, so do not fret if mummy seems a little… tired. She'll just need a little coffee."

"Daddy, let's wake up Edward and I woke up nanny and…" Alexis boisterously says, starting to jump on the bed, "I am excited, daddy, yes I am. I hope I got the bike I wanted, I hope, I hope."

Elias smiles and rolls his eyes, amused with his step-daughter and how excited she seems to be, getting up while the four-year-old jumps on the bed, her mother obviously annoyed as she groans and rolls over. He walks over to the other side of the bed, runs his hand through Meg's hair and kisses his wife's head affectionately, as she is not taking to this so well, fatigued because of a restless little one.

"How can she be so energetic at this time of the morning? I don't know how you're up when you didn't go to bed until 11 after conferencing…" Megan mutters, half-asleep and lying on her side, "Oh after Ed last night and his crying all I want to do right now is sleep…"

"I know, I know, and I'm just as tired, but, like I am every morning after a late night in the office in my duties as King… We just got to power through it." Elias quietly says, trying not for Alexis to hear, although she seems distracted because of her zeal of the moment, "I'll make coffee when we get downstairs."

Aside from Alexis cheerfully bouncing on the bed, disturbing her mother as she is trying not to be disturbed (or even fall off the bed), the one other sound they hear is the whimpers of their little baby, as same as the cries they heard almost all last night when he was being so restless. They managed to get him to sleep at about four in the morning, two hours ago to the least, and now he's awake again due to his half-sister and her frantic excitement.

"Looks like Edward's up, daddy." Alexis says, who had stopped bouncing and landing on her bottom on the bed, her mother looking relieved as she almost looks like she'll go back to sleep

"You don't say." Her father says, throwing the covers aside, "I'll get him…"

Elias walks over to the cot in another section of the room, through an arched doorway with the doors propped open where the nursery was set up. Repainted baby blue and decorated with white and blue furniture this time around as all the other furniture, the pink and custard coloured (as in the set of drawers, armoire, dressing table, end table) moved when they moved Alexis into her own room for the new baby. Or, on the other hand, were moved down in storage (such as the toddler cot) or, in the case of the bassinette, they changed the bedding to fit the colour scheme. Megan insists on having Edward close to her, because like Alexis, she insists on raising her children herself all the while her husband and his second in command are running the kingdom.

"Hey now, little guy." Elias says, leaning over the white lace bassinette with blue edging, "Why are you so cranky this morning, hm? I know your sister woke you up, but it's a good day."

Edward seems growly to say the least, his hands clenched and his little feet kicking his blanket, crying loudly to gain his parents' attention, feeling almost the same as his mother who is not taking woken up so early that well either. Elias picks his son up and tries to soothe the crying infant, remembering what fuss his wife made about holding him: one hand on his back and another on his bottom, and hold him at your shoulder. -Might as well comply with what she told him before we have another problem on our hands.

Once again for the umpteenth time in the last night, as it seems that it is his turn to get the baby. He's only about two months old now and he may only seem to eat, sleep, and all the rest that a baby, does, but the little guy will grab things whenever he gets around to it whenever he's not half-asleep looking, looking around owlishly usually to his mother and father. After a few minutes, the little boy seems to have calmed down and Megan appears to be up, as she walks past the doorway sleepily. –Even if it's his turn, she's so used to Alexis sometimes being a little too unsettled that she always wakes up too and won't go down until the baby is asleep, Alicia declaring it on her half "the mark of a true mother".

"I can only hope that you won't as boisterous as your sister is sometimes…" Elias says to his son, who has one hand clinging to his clothes and sucks on his fist, his light blue eyes peeping around owlishly every time he opens them, "But we can't blame her, she is a kid and… well, she can behave most of the time, like daddy's little princess should."

Alexis runs in and tugs on her dad's shirt, to get his attention away from her younger half-brother, "Daddy, can we go downstairs now?"

"Of course, sweetheart." Elias replies, the young girl then running off, "Just be careful on the stairs!"

* * *

Alicia is sitting already up, her hand holding up her head. The amount of uncanny patience that the Queen Mother has toward anything like this could be portrayed as apathy by the look on her face, but she is only just tired, because she knows how much this means to some of both present company and family and with Alexis… Who can say no to a four-year-old when her father was like that at her age?

She was the first of few people that her granddaughter had woken up by now aside from her "aunt" Lady Katherine and "uncle" Kate's fiancé, Sir Zachery and finally, Sir Shadow on his duty of being the Guard to the Lady of Acorn. From the window into the majestic backyard garden, at the fountain, He can be seen sitting on the ledge meditating… Rather not disturb him then because he hates when he is disturbed and at this time of the morning, the beauty and tranquillity of the (**formerly known as** **the Autumn Palace**) gardens is perfect for something like meditation or just sitting outside and have a moment to gather thoughts.

It is quiet downstairs, the halls of the Cealia Palace mostly vacant since most of the staff are having the holiday from yesterday until the 27th. The only thing you can hear is the coffee machine in the background in the kitchen since Zach has taken the liberty of handling that, since he just can tell that since the Duchess of Cealia is running around waking everyone up.

"Oh how exhilarating Christmas is with children in the palace again." Alicia smiles, finally finding a way to smile through her fatigue, although her smile turns to a frown for a moment, "Oh how much I wish Max was here… Its little Edward's first Christmas… And Manik… Oh, he would have loved to be around. But… Things just fell apart by the end…"

"Well, Queen Mother, sometimes fate works in strange ways and I guess we don't live forever… Unlike Shadow who'll live forever at this rate." Zachery says, coming back from the kitchen with a tray of coffees, "But we hope that he is in a better place."

"Indeed…"Alicia agrees, no denying that fact

"Nanny!" Alexis says, coming downstairs, the Queen Mother cheering up as her grandchild comes up to her

"Oh, you've finally come downstairs have you?" The Queen Mother states, before a chuckle, patting her on the head, before moving her fringe out of her eyes again, "Oh, my, my, my, Alexis, how you can have this boundless energy on days like this… But you are only in the innocence of youth and will be for time to come…"

"Yeah, I wonder too, mum. She immediately came into our room and ended up disturbing the peace. Ed would have only been asleep only an hour and a half, two hours before this." Elias says, coming down the stairs and pauses for a moment at the foot of the stairs and yawns

"Oh, Elias, don't you complain. You used to be like that when you were her age, and I guess history repeats itself." his mother says, donning her 'payback' smile as she would think that 20 something years later this would happen

"Am I allowed to open my presents now, nanny? Am I, daddy?" The child asks

"Alright then, you can open presents now, dear." Alicia says to her granddaughter, knowing how excited she has been since earlier this morning when she had gotten her up, "But only when your father sorts them out."

Megan yawns as she sits down next to the Queen Mother and receives a cup of coffee from Zach, as simultaneously as Alicia handed her grandson to hold, as the mother is a little too tired to pay attention for the moment. Katherine has Elias video camera as she was asked to film this for the sake of it, at least until he is not busy with the presents.

_"Looks like you needed the coffee, Meg." Zach comments, this being the first of all things being caught on tape_

_Megan yawns, "More than you think, Zachery…"_

Kate takes footage on the video as Alexis opens her presents and a little Edward, with help from his grandmother, is opening his. For most immediately afterward, the little one immediately trying to put the wrapping paper in his mouth, his grandmother telling him not to and much to the infant's displeasure, Megan taking it off him in a preventive measure. Alexis herself getting excited as she had gotten a bike complete with training wheels. Just after she finished opening her presents (**when her father took over control of the camera**), she started riding around the living room, manoeuvring around the furniture. Her grandmother telling her to watch out for things she does not want destroyed in a collision before taking her outside in the backyard.

Most of the morning's footage consisted of mostly of Edward and Alexis with their toys, aside from Alexis making a mess at brunch with the chocolate that went with her pancakes, getting it on her face and hands, even on her nightie and footage of Lady Kate cleaning her up with her powers. Most of the Edward footage involves the infant playing with some of his while sitting on his mother's lap, Megan only tries to get the little one's interest for most of it as the attention span isn't very great for a baby that young. He mostly was falling asleep, kinda like his mother who yawned a fair bit.

They then come to 11am, everyone is going back inside, and the camera seems to keep rolling for now.

_"Meg and Ed fell asleep about an hour ago." Elias says in commentary, going up to his wife and nudging her, "Honey, you might want to get up so you can get ready for the party at the Robotnik's."_

_"Again… Still tired…" Megan breathes, sitting up while supporting their youngest child who fidgets with the movement, "You still have the camera on?"_

_"It's been on since six in the morning. Just capturing Christmas Day and what it was like on Ed's first Christmas… and our first Christmas without dad." He replies, breathing a saddened sigh, "Come on, shower, hair, clothes, baby, we got to get a move on and I don't want to be late."_

Megan makes a noise that means that she gives in, and processes the instructions she is given, before getting up and walking off without a word to go and get ready. Elias then turns the camera on himself.

_"Well… I guess this wraps up the footage for this morning. Let us just hope that it is not leaked onto social media, like something else did, thank you very much, mum and thank you ever so much, Amy, my half-sister. And dad… if you're possibly looking down on us from wherever the hell you are like Goddess Cathryn does… Merry Christmas and… I never said it much but… I love you, dad and… I miss you, okay. And I know you would have loved to be here, with Alexis and with Ed, and I wish that you were, mum wishes that too." Elias says tearing up toward what he has just said, and wipes his eyes, "This is Eli… Signing off to go and get ready for the party. Merry Christmas…"_

It goes quiet as Elias sets down the video camera on the coffee table, taking a seat in an armchair and takes a deep breath as he leans his head back, a mess of his dark auburn hair flopping over his face until he blows it aside… To try to gather his thoughts, because he just needs a moment to gather himself. His mother stands on the entrance to the room with a saddened look. She heard everything and she understands his confession on tape, and she agrees that it is not just the same without her late husband around and like her, the loss is still hard on him, as much as he does not like talking about it. The Queen Mother walking up to her son and hugging him as he gets up from his chair.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Alicia honestly asks

"I'm trying my best…" Elias mutters, taking a deep breath, "But it's just not the same and… it just salts the wounds all the memories I have of Christmas before everything went to the shit because of the war and moving on… It's been hard and still is."

"What matters is that Alexis and Edward had a good time this morning with opening presents and everything…" His mother says, "Your father is proud of you, Elias and he always said that… And he kept saying that Edward would be like you and I guess that's true… except you're bright enough not to have called him a junior unlike your father kept referring the little babe as."

Elias tearfully half-chuckles, as he loves his mother's sense of humour, "Yeah…"

* * *

Over in Sanya Faye, over at the beachside holiday house of the Calibre Family, in a double bed in the bedroom of Blaze's, Silver has his arm wrapped around his girlfriend as they both sleep while the early morning's light seeps in through the light curtains that hang over them. In years past, the lavender feline would have been up with her father and extended family and opening presents by now. However, as she had gotten older, well that changed as much as she had within the 11 years since their last family Christmas with the extended family extinguished by the Ferian Empire in a deadly cull by Jonathan's forces.

Blaze rolls over and yawns, "Morning, Siv…"

"Morning, PB." Silver replies, with a smile, "I smell pancakes…"

"What do you think? It's Christmas, Silver." The purple feline replies, sitting up, "Ever since I was thirteen, dad's been making a pretty sweet breakfast and we'd exchange presents since… well not a little kid anymore and there is no Santa, but no telling the kids that. And this year, I'm not a kid anymore, but hell, dad holds onto that like a lot of things, especially since if I was still sixteen, he'd have a spaz if we were sleeping in the same room nevertheless the same bed."

"Well he knows we're not having sex until we're married, right?" the silver hedgehog asks, only wanting to know if the man that may be his future father in law isn't going to bring up _that_ topic. Especially if breakfast when it is only him, his girlfriend and her father here at the house (aside from the Royal Guard)

"Obviously…" She replies, throwing the covers away and getting out of bed, picking up her nightgown as she gets up so she does not slip over again, which did happen once, "But he is one paranoid man sometimes and he said once that he doesn't want to be a grandfather until things are stable and I can't help but agree there."

He nods, "Yeah, when the empire is not busy trying to blow us up."

Blaze gets up and places down her nightgown, which drops to the floor and seemingly is like a dress as it flutters out at the bottom. She then gets her dressing gown and places it on, then sitting by her mirror so she can at least fix her hair before breakfast. Her father mentioned to her a month ago that her hair had grown within the last time he saw her before then. She guesses he is right, as it is partway down her back now because she has been growing it out while she has not been on the field. For the first time in maybe her teenage years, she actually looks like a princess rather than a tactical response agent of the FFF and she her father reckons she has "Cathryn's beauty" which is a term that means that any Calibre daughter is as beautiful as the goddess they descend from.

The beauty of being on holiday is that she does not have to get dressed or anything when she hangs around the house; she has spent a few days in her pyjamas since she has been here. Since she is on official holiday, her father really wants her to take a break for a while since she was in a stress of commanding while he was not there for four months they were in a fight against the Empire. He often heard from Amin that she spent sleepless nights dealing with the senate and with the Ferian Freedom Fighters. John wants her to relax now that the senate year is over, since around that time of year, it gets intense and he knows that for sure. Now that it is the summer holidays, the only duties she will have to do is to do with Fera day, the opening of senate and the festival of light in the next month.

She and Silver go downstairs and there is a set out of things from fruit bouquets, to waffles and pancakes to eggs and bacon. John often takes this a little more seriously than he should… but he still makes the pancakes in animals/Christmas tree/smiley face/symmetrical shapes for some reason, which is depending on what shape moulds he finds. It was something that her grandmother and mother used to do for Blaze when she was a bit of a fussy eater as a kitten, make the food into shaped things, and it is just reminiscent of what little childhood she had with her family before they all perished…

"Dad." Blaze calls, wondering where her father is

"In the kitchen, my dear daughter." John cheerfully replies, coming out of the adjacent room with another plate of food to add to the set out, wearing an apron with the Calibre shield embroidered on it, "Or should I say, coming out of the kitchen and it is so good that you two are up. Merry Christmas to the both of you, and the Goddess sends her best wishes."

"Likewise to you too, John, and hope she'll know that we send the same for her too. I noticed this year the pancakes are shaped like hearts and… stars." Silver says, having been explained from his girlfriend why her father does that, he still finds it a little strange that he does that sort of thing.

"Well, I couldn't find all the darn shape moulds again so they'll have to do…" the king says, jabbing his daughter teasingly when he still remembers a time when she was a fussy little kitten, "Be a dear and turn on the morning news, Blaze. Just in case the empire is doing anything that the FFF has neglected to tell us, for example an attack."

Blaze picks up the remote sitting on the cabinet at the wall below of a flat-screen TV hung on the wall above it and sits at her place on the dining table. She turns the TV on, goes through the EPG before going on to RFBC News 24, and turns it up, in which they are reporting on the weather forecast. She is pouring herself some orange juice as she waits for her father to finish what he is doing in the kitchen so he can join her and Silver, the polite thing to do.

"Looks like it's going to be a fine day, dad." Blaze says to her father, who is darting around the kitchen from what she can see through the decorative space in the wall in which little candles and these little vases that Blaze painted as a gift for her father on father's day when she was seven are displayed

"I was thinking we could take the Free Spirit out this morning since the party doesn't start till like 1 in the afternoon." John suggests, noting how lovely a day it looks outside and what the weatherman says about forecast for Sanya Faye here in the Central Ferian Continent. _The Free Spirit of Cathryn Calibre _is the family yacht that her grandfather bought for her father as a wedding present to her mother, Cathryn Seymour (who then became Queen Cathryn Calibre VIII in marriage when John ascended the throne not that long before Blaze was born), and it is named after the Goddess, obviously.

"Yeah, I think that'll be nice." Silver says, agreeing to the idea "You going to join us anytime soon, John?"

"What, are you waiting for me?" the Calibre king asks, coming into the room and taking his apron off and hanging it from his chair, "Heavens above you two! You are the future heads of the Ferian realm, or in your case, Silver, Midorian and depending on a break up if it happened, and the least I want is for you to stay healthy by spending my morning doing all of this, so I don't mind the discourtesy. I'm not too big on etiquette anyway, if you haven't noticed in the last 4 years…"

Getting the go ahead and still feeling as though they should be waiting for John, they just help themselves to the breakfast he has made for this morning. But he has a point, as long as they are grateful, which Blaze always is every time, he will not mind the disregard of the waiting rule. John is often indifferent when it comes to etiquette, although being born oldest of six and raised to be the next heir in his day meant that he had to follow these rules and everything, but… as he later had become king after his father's death, he started to disregard them, especially following the life-changing massacre.

Blaze looks to the news and there is no reports of any empire activity, no warnings released from Amin or any of the other commanders at FFF HQ that the public should be ducking and covering from, that is, only _some_ things get released to the press after all from the government organisation that the public should be aware of. She checks her phone, just in case they sent her anything, no alerts, except for a few notifications on her social media accounts on the matter of what today is when she checks them. Thus far, they are from (in order of earliest to recent and most their full names are used on the accounts): Elias Acorn, Sonic, Aleena Pericade, Avira Celiade Crest, Katherine Robotnik, Safire Prudence, Ivo Robotnik, Clarissa Cousteau, Sifora Cava, Amin Rokai, Miles Prowler, Maryann Rayecou Prudence, Tia-Sina Prudence, Vandit Latore and finally Amy Rose.

"Siv, did you check your notifications?" Blaze asks, "For goddess knows what time in the morning over in Mobius, Paris, Midora and here, there are already so many damn messages already…"

"Yeah, I did." Silver replies, scrolling through the messages on his phone, and finally gotten to the pictures posted by both sides of the Acorn family, "Hey, look at that, Alexis got a bike like she wanted. Sonia got a French-looking porcelain doll from Aleena, Edward got some sort of teddy and Manik got one of those things you put over an iPad that has the games and stuff app thing you get. Heh, they pretty cute little kids."

"Yeah, they're pretty cute." The lavender feline responds, amused of her boyfriend's reactions to the pictures of the Acorn children he is looking at from Elias and Sonic's posts on Facebook, "Your mum wishes us all the best and hopes to see us later."

"Yeah, I saw." The silver hedgehog comments, "Oh I wonder what "jovial" gift she gotten for Mephiles and Avira then since she's due in… was it four or three months? Some cousin I am to forget."

"It's three, Silver." John says, knowing of what little knowledge that he does about his daughter's boyfriend's cousins, the Midorian royals, who he works closely works with, among the other royals and world leaders he knows, "And you're not a bad cousin for getting it mixed up, Silver. Hell, I often forgot what my sister's husband's name was for the few years that I knew him before… said night."

"Aunt Susan, Aunt Julie or Aunt Anne?" Blaze asks. Although she was a young age (eight) when they died in the massacre, that didn't stop her from learning family history and although she was young, when she was at that age, she know them.

"Aunt Julianna." Her father replies, sighing inwardly because although it has been 10 years, he is still saddened over the deaths his family members, especially his oldest sister whom he grew up beside for most of his years before the rest came along. Only he and Blaze survived that night, "It seems a little strange indeed, because she was married to my sister whom I had affection for besides my oldest sister, Susan, and yet I could never remember his name, when he was an alright lad indeed. Once you get past his arrogant attitude that is."

"Ah, so he was one of _those_ nobles…" Silver comments, getting what his girlfriend's father is talking about

"Oh look, looks like someone leaked on the Christmas party at the Robotnik's place…" Blaze says, unimpressed to say the least at the news is outside the Robotnik household.

"What? Turn it up then, Blaze." John orders in response

Blaze turns up the television as her father asks…

_"We are here outside the Robotnik Family Household where we have been leaked of information, via social media that that the party this year will be held at this manor in the suburbs of West Cealia today and it will be a high-class event with many in attending. Sources can confirm that Amy Rose, the half-sister of Elias and Sally Acorn and the girlfriend to Katherine Robotnik's cousin, Vandit Latore, has leaked on her Twitter Page "Going to Christmas Party at the Robotnik's with my boyfie, Vandit. #ChristmasParty2016". The press has lined up in the hundreds to capture any pictures of any of the celebrities and royals that may turn up to this event and at RFBC News 24 we will keep you updated as the Calibre are set to appear at this event. This is Cathy Chatsworth for RFBC News 24, in Cealia, Mobius. Back to you, Chad in the studio."_

"Oh, Elias is not going to like that…" Blaze comments, pulling quite the face to describe how this leak is going down

"Of course he's not… Let's just hope he hasn't checked any form of Social Media or the news in the last five minutes or he's going to be pissed… so will everyone else who had just heard that just now." Silver says

"Hmm, if he found out maybe I'll invite him onto the yacht then." John quips, laughing at his own joke at his own expense, receiving a look from Blaze and Silver that means that he really should not, "Anyway… I have a gift for you both. Be right back, or as you kids say, BRB!"

"No one really says that, dad. 18, remember?" Blaze says, looking at her father with the same unimpressed look

"…I'll be back." John says, now feeling awkward

Blaze then looks to the TV as they start reporting on current events that are going on as well as talking about gifts and Christmas themed topics whenever they had moved on from the stuff on the Morning Breakfast sort of show. She turns it back down to a tolerable level and grabs herself one of the kebab sticks with fruit on it from the fruit bouquet. Flowers of pineapple or watermelon and leaves of kiwi fruit… She wonders how her father has this time to do stuff like this when being a king is a full-time job. Usually, like Mobian counterparts, they are cooped up in the office, busy with their governments, even being on call 24/7 for things that could happen (especially if war were to be declared) and often having the really late nights and she had experienced four months of it by herself, only with Senator Amin on call too.

John comes in with two wrapped presents, one big one supporting red wrapping paper with a yellow bow and one small one just with one of those stick on bow on it, blue against the black of the case. Blaze wonders with the inward curiosity, which present she has, being a little vain, she would have thought that she would be getting the bigger one, however…

John places down the larger of the gifts to Silver, "Now, Silver, I got you something special… now that patch work that was done on the sword that you used in the final battle didn't exactly hold until the next time we saw those bastards later that night so… Goddess Cathryn and your mother aside suggested I'd do something with that fact and-"

"You got me a new sword!" Silver exclaims, both in shock and surprise, had opening the gift while John was talking, "I don't know what to say, John… I appreciate it, greatly."

"Well, why don't you try it out then..." King Calibre says, smiling that he had gotten the gift right for the boy who is partially like a son to him, and practically will be from what he had told him while they were in the desert, "…Just not inside, lad. Too much expensive, fragile and important, stuff in here."

Silver picks up his gift, the holder with a design that is gold and covered in turquoise, and draws it slightly to look at the blade, which is silver and polished as new before letting it drop back into its case, "Thank you."

"Hey, no problem." John says, patting the hedgehog on the shoulder, "Now they said that the patchwork on the old sword will be done soon, so if you want-"

"Um, daddy, as much as I like how you and Silver get along… you realise that you have a daughter, right?" Blaze interjects, standing from her seat to make her point clear, feeling left out of this moment

"Oh, of course… So sorry, dear." The king says, awkwardly as he got a little distracted from what he was doing, coming over beside her, "Now, it looks kind of small compared to Silver's gift, but… the sentimental value is more valuable than a sword ever is… Now that you're all grown up, and I was planning to give you this on your birthday, but… you got a little distressed and…"

"Dad, you're dawdling again." His daughter replies, giving him that look that she obviously got from him

"Sorry." The dark purple smiles, embarrassed, before clearing his throat, handing her the small box, "Blaze, you are all grown up now, and I still wonder where the years went… But, as a Calibre, you are a descendant of the Goddess Cathryn, I know, you already know this but… Your aunt, my oldest little sister Susan, wanted to make something for you to wear to show that you are a Calibre, and she took it to the ruins and put it in the Goddess' fountain, with permission of said goddess, to add something special."

She opens the box he hands her, it is a charm of the Calibre Symbol, it is encrusted with silver and gold, and gems abound of emerald and diamond, "She made this… for me?"

"Well she said that you were unique once, your grandmother agreed definitely and, well… in the lack of that locket you had lost from the coup, I thought you should have this now that you're well… a big girl now." Her father says, taking it from her hands and places it on her neck, "…And I'm sure you won't lose this one."

They both chuckle, amused and Blaze hugs her father, much to his surprise, but then again, he raised her pretty much since she was a baby, so she is spontaneous when she wants to be, "Love you, daddy."

He hugs his daughter back, "Love you too, my girl."

* * *

The seaside city of Sanya Faye, the waters around this time of year are nice, especially for when summers like this one hit and it becomes hot, somewhere up to 40oC at most days. The beaches can get crowded with beachgoers from as far as Daya Coule in the centre of this continent, which is fair enough a two-hour drive here on the freeway going 110kms per hour, non-stop that is. As they foretold on the forecast this morning, it is a scorcher…

The Free Spirit sails across the waters, cutting through these waves along the shoreline and the winds are just perfect for the yacht to be out on the waves, drifting along the shoreline while John captains it. Which he could only tell would make Marine envious as she has always wanted to sail The Free Spirit, as she has been sailing her boat, The Ocean Tornado for a fair few years now, seven to say the least, but… she has always wanted to sail the Calibre Royal yacht.

"Oh come on, Blaze..." Silver begs, his new sword resting on his side on his belt above his board shorts, pandering back and forth the deck, "One round, please. I wanna see what this baby can do and does it look like I'll get to use it anytime soon?"

Blaze looks up from the book she is reading, "I don't feel like sparring right now, final. Why'd you bring your sword anyway? Does it look like the Empire would be attacking on today? Even Nega knows when to call it a day and spend time with his family."

"Blaze, you're Princess, I'm a Cava and a prince and your father is the King of the United Kingdoms of Fera, does it look like I'd let my guard down?" He replies, clenching his sword handle, "Even with the Royal Guard around… I just don't think it's safe enough."

The lavender feline has a thought, "Dad, stop the boat!"

Having heard this whole convocation between his daughter and her boyfriend, he complies and ends up stopping the boat in the middle of the cove. He knows when his daughter has an idea, and he already knows what it is since the last time they were out here. Blaze places her bookmark in and closes the book, setting it down next to her drink and some prawns with seafood sauce (in John's opinion, food for the occasion for being on the sea and it's pretty darn nice) and taking off her sundress and chucking it aside, revealing she has a gold-coloured bikini on underneath. She suddenly takes Silver's sword off his belt and puts it aside as she pushes him toward the edge of the boat to the swimming platform and pushes him into the clear blue water, and jumps in afterward.

John chuckles standing by the edge of the deck where he is and leaning on the railing, "Looks like you got dunked again, Silver."

"Ha-ha. Very funny…" Silver says, amused though rolling his eyes

"You deserved it, cranky…" Blaze laughs, "You needed to cool off a bit."

Sliver splashes her, she splashes him back, and they get into a splash fight. King John rolls his eyes at the sight, has a smirk, before raising his hand, and flicks it back and forth until a wave splashes over Silver and Blaze. They look at him unimpressed while he is trying to cover up having used slight control over water. **(As an Ice God, he can control water to create ice, like how Katherine Robotnik is a Water Goddess who can make ice, as it is a specialised branch off her power, according to the SO**).

"You too, John…" Silver says, "And yet I thought by now that I knew all about you Calibre's…"

"Nice one dad…" Blaze comments, half-unamused as her father only shrugs and smiles deviously

* * *

_"Cathy Chatsworth here for RFBC News 24 and it is the hour of all hours, since about 11 am guests have been arriving to this world renowned Christmas party that has been the talk of the nation since this morning. Amy Rose had tweeted information to do with her attendance to the event held here today at the Robotnik Household and it has become the talk of the nation since them with many retweets and discussions on the matter. We have images of various people showing up in their cars, but sadly, we are unable to get inside for closer shots. And it is only from the official twitter feeds of some guests od pictures is what little picture we can get to inside the event."_

Elias sits on the edge of his bed, holding Edward in his arms, while watching the coverage that the RFBC News 24 team has been covering to the event, usually he wouldn't have put it on the Ferian (English) news, but then again, it's the first one he has found since losing the remote last night somehow. On his social media accounts, he has been seeing photos and selfies of some of his friends at the event, mostly of what they are wearing. It is low-key casual formal, so that means that no one will be showing up in full-on ball outfits complete with crowns, jewels, and strings of pearls hanging from every little where possible. In a photo they are showing right now, his brother in law, Sonic, has shown up wearing nothing but pants and a shirt, sister Sally wearing a blue sundress with a short-sleeve cardigan on her shoulders and their children dressed a little like their parents in that fashion.

"Eli." Megan calls from the bathroom next to to the nursery on that side of the room, the door slightly open as her head pokes out, "I need your opinion on the dress."

"Sure." Elias replies, while fixing the baby so he is comfortable, "Show me."

Megan comes out of the bathroom twirling and stops in a pose, while trying to hold back laughs for how silly she is acting right now. She is wearing a red and white, slightly below knee length dress coupled with a white cardigan on her shoulders, white hand gloves, red mini high-heels, a silver necklace hanging at her neck and a red headband in her shoulder-length wavy chocolate-brown hair sitting behind her fringe. It was a little over two months ago that she had given birth to her second child (first child to Eli) and she has somewhat bounced back. In her self-conscious opinion of her image, in about two weeks after having Edward, she had been attending personal training twice a week and often walking around the Cealia Park with girlfriends and her sister in law every morning before most of them would go to work.

"Well?" She asks nervously

"You look beautiful, honey." He assures her, getting up from where he is sitting, "And the exercise has actually paid off, if you're going to ask."

Megan admires herself in the mirror, "Well I can say that most of the baby weight is gone… I just want to get back into shape since I was slack sometimes with having Ed and… You know, I am at least trying to keep active and…"

"You look beautiful no matter what you look like, Meg." Elias says, kissing her cheek before pulling a funny face, "…I think Ed needs to be changed."

"I'll change him; you just get him some clothes for me…" Megan says, taking the baby from his father, "Oh and you'd look better wearing a vest so you should get one out of the wardrobe. We're obviously going to be seen on the news so I suggest wearing something that will be somewhat dignifying although will be classed as casual formal if you're going to have that shirt rolled to your elbows."

"If you insist, love…" He replies, following her into the nursery, "Since when are you obsessed with image all of a sudden when you'd usually couldn't give two shits what you'd look like on camera?"

"Maybe since Amy was the one who blabbed on the party." She replies, placing the infant down at the change table and undoing his one-piece suit, "She's your half-sister, Elias, and renowned within the socialite world and if anything, weather if you, and Sally, acknowledge her or not as your half-sister, I'd say that we'd rather look presentable since she was the one who blabbed. And I bet Sally thinks the same as she was the one who made Sonic look somewhat presentable anyway if he is wearing pants for once…"

* * *

_"From numerous tweets and posts on their official pages, we are seeing most of the outfits and updates on what is going on in this grand Christmas party. Except we have heard no word out of some people all morning aside from their Christmas updates and wishes this morning and we are sure they will be turning up soon. Wait… Is that the… The Royal Car of the Calibre is on approach and is arriving to the party and the manor gates are opening."_

Blaze looks at herself in her makeup mirror, just checking up on herself since it has been half of an hour since they had left Sanya Faye on their car trip here via a portal that was activated outside the city. Ever since her four months as a leader, she has constantly been checking up and being fussy on her appearance, even more than she usually would have been, being a lady and a royal who, sadly like all of her counterparts, is most of the time in the media, sometimes for the right, and sometimes for the wrong reasons. Even from here, she can hear the shutter of the cameras that are at the gates wanting pictures…

They pull up and Silver, dressed in a simple polo and pants combo, gets out of the car first and takes Blaze's hand as she gets up. She herself is dressed in a simple blouse and skirt combination, her hair sitting comfortably below her shoulders with a simple headband in it and with comfortable flat shoes. Her father, King Calibre himself dressing casually, though smartly with a polo, vest and shorts as that is how he rolls sometimes, getting out on the other side of the car noting the media presence as a plenty when people from four realms are present.

"Hm, and yet I thought there was more of them." John quips while walking around the back of the car

The doors open and the hostess herself, Sophia Robotnik, dressed in a dark blue blouse and skirt combination with her hair sitting at below shoulder length and sitting comfortably on her head, a dark blue beret, "Blaze, Silver, John, it is good to see you have come."

"Afternoon, Ms Robotnik." John says, coming up to greet the hostess (self-proclaimed that is when she should be sharing this responsibility with her older brother) with a handshake, "Looks like quite the media presence because of that one tweet…"

"Yes, indeed…" Sophia disgruntled sighs, "Let's just hope that they'll leave within the next hour when everyone is present…"

"Seems unlikely, ma'am." Silver says, coming up to the convocation with his girlfriend whom he is holding hands with, "They don't leave until it is well and done… because they always hang around especially to get the latest on whatever that may go down."

Blaze rolls her eyes, "And with Amy around, it seems inevitable…"

"Well, come in, come in." The hostess cheerfully says, noting how much the media presence is, "Let us celebrate a good day indeed and get you lot out of the media's way."

"It'll probably be worse when Acorn decide to show up, I'll tell you that, lass." John says, patting her hand before letting go and heading inside, "Where the devil are you, Ivo? For heaven's sake… Your sister is handling all of this and yet you're nowhere in sight..."

Blaze and Silver roll their eyes as there he goes again with the scolding. Sophia smiles on amused as her brother is about to be told off for not doing the right thing and greeting the guests by the feline king who is proclaimed to be "one of the friendlier kings who are more down to earth and you could have a beer with". They just decide to follow, just in case her father gets a little too carried away, but then again, Ivo Robotnik has changed over the last four years since defecting to the good side… he has become a little more in control of his explosive temper that they all seem to have…

* * *

_"The Calibre royals and Prince Silver of Midora have arrived and we are awaiting the arrival of a few more guests, especially the last remaining royal family that has yet to appear: The Acorn Royal Family. We have seen extended members of their family, Sir Sonic and his wife, the king's sister, Princess Sally Acorn, arrive with their two children, but no word on the monarchs of this glorious kingdom arriving yet. Of course, accompanying King Elias and his wife, Queen Megan will be their two children, Duchess Alexis Acorn and Prince Edward Acorn. The Queen Mother, Lady Alicia Acorn, the party's host, Senator Robotnik's daughter, our Lady of Acorn, Lady Katherine Robotnik and her fiancé, Sir Zachery Bond, the couple seen in some photos as to be staying with the Acorns this holiday season."_

"Good Goddess…" Katherine says, waiting downstairs watching the footage in the lounge room,

"I was about to say something like that, however a little more… uncouth…." Alicia comments, agreeing with the overlander that she stands with and at the same time surprising her a bit as usually the queen mother would be the last one to use coarse language, "Katherine, I do like your dress, dear. Blue is indeed your colour."

"Why thank you, Alicia." Kate replies, moving on so quickly to avoid an awkward silence, twirling around for her to show off her new dress, which is a light blue short sleeve dress with hemming of white, "It wasn't much, but… I at least need to wear everything in my wardrobe once. And may I say that you look elegant yourself."

"Why thank you in return, dear." The queen mother smiles, "Now I can hope that my granddaughter will come downstairs soon because I got her such a sweet little dress for her to wear. With that girl, I'd think purple is her colour, because it would suit her well, but then again I can only bet she will look ever so darling in her dress."

"Nanny, nanny!" Alexis chirps, entering the room

"Speak of the devil again, eh Alicia?" the blonde haired woman quips, both of them laughing at the comment as the four year old has made another bold and highly announced entrance again, she takes note of her little red dress, which is accented with white, for the occasion, "My you look darling, Alexis."

"Yeah, and don't you mess up your hair, I only just finished brushing it." Megan says, entering the room in her ensemble that is almost alike to her daughter's, and carrying Edward in her arms, "Looks like everyone is ready."

"Where the devil is Elias then, Meg?" Alicia asks her daughter in law, "If that boy is one of those ones who fuss around with their hair, I swear he should have been a girl…"

"What? No, no, Alicia." The queen replies, at least trying to assure her of… whatever the hell she is talking about is indeed false, "I'm making him wear a vest because, well, you know…"

"Ah yes, the bastard offspring tweeting about this gala…" Zachery says, looking up from his book that he has been reading, "No offence, but that is what I am making sense of the situation."

"Well you put it more lightly than my late husband did, Zachery, so I give you points for that." Alicia says, unusually calm when they are indeed talking about her _third_ child, "But do refrain from using the 'A' word around Elias and Sally… they still are handling the truth a little… too delicately still."

"What are we talking about?" Alexis chimes in, unaware of the topic nevertheless what they are talking about

"Oh nothing, dear, just the grown-ups having a talk." Her grandmother says, kneeling down to her level and moving a hair out of her face (again), "Elias Acorn, get your behind down here right this minute!"

When the matriarch calls, you have to answer, which is usually the case because this alter ego seems all but common and then again, they just do not know what she is capable of or how long this has existed for. Elias comes marching down the stairs, fixing his vest that his wife had demanded he wear due to the press being present at the front of this event (hell even without the tweet, they'd probably have shown up anyway, regardless), reporting every little thing they see.

"Oh how darling you look, my wittle Eli…" Alicia coos, coming up to her son and treating him like a five year old again, the adults in the room sniggering in the background, "You look so cute and so… adorable in your little outfit…"

"Mum… in my twenties, married, father of two, king of the kingdom… Remember?" Elias says, before noting what is going on in the background, "Oh, ha-ha, very funny… Even you, Kate, Zachery, I expect better."

"Sorry, Eli… But whenever your mother does that, it's quite funny…" Katherine replies

"Even when you're eighty you'll still be my wittle Eli…" Alicia says, pinching her son's cheek a bit and laughing inwardly, "Now come on, we have a party to get to and I'd hate to be late on a day like this… It's a lovely day in the Seaside City of Cealia and I intend on enjoying it."

* * *

_"As we have seen over this morning and early afternoon, the arrivals of party guests, just recently, Commander Antoine and his wife had arrived following a rather dashing Senator Amin of the Kana Vera Province from the United Kingdoms of Fera. Hold on… The royal procession is coming down the road! The Acorn Royal Family has arrived!"_

"Oh good heavenly Goddess Cathryn of the Ferian Religion!" Megan exclaims, noting how many of the press have turned out as she gets out of the car

"And even that is an understatement." Elias concurs with his wife, while getting Edward's pram out of the boot and putting it up, "Still think we should have just taken the capsule…"

Katherine and Zachery get out of the car and just look on unimpressed, as this 'usual thing' always seems to follow them around because they always need a new headline about something that someone is doing somewhere aside from the boring news stories they put betwixt the exciting news of celebrities. Even if Katherine may be a member of the family as the "younger sister", they still are quite petty… In her opinion differing from her fiancé Zachery's, whom often has opinions that are more… adverse.

The doors open again and Ivo immediately dashes for his daughter who he swoops up in a hug, taking her by surprise, but then again, it is quite normal for her father to do this because of her being his only child… And being a concerned parent he often has a little bit of separation anxiety about his daughter being now 18 and living out of home most of the time with her fiancé and all… If anything, now Elias has his revenge, as his father is as clingy as his mother is with him and his sister, Sally.

"It is good to see you, Kate…" Ivo says to his daughter

"Oh, hey… dad…" Katherine says both feeling awkward and smothered, Elias in the background having his revenge by the feeling that he has the look on his face, but she doesn't care as she at the same time happy to see her father, "Merry Christmas."

"Sorry for all the press presence…" Sophia says to everyone, "But if you just come inside and out the back, they won't bother us there and hopefully will disappear…"

"Sounds like a plan, Sophia." Alicia says, coming past the brunette haired overlander, "Well come on then, better get to the snack table before a certain someone does…"

* * *

Throughout the lower level of the Robotnik mansion and in the backyard of the estate, everyone hangs around and finds a way to chat and get along. Guests making small talk and exchange formalities with some of the invited guests that they have not have heard of nor met before, but most are within the resistance and Alliance Against Empire Domination community and know each other very well. Most, if not all the guests are the close-knit friends that make the resistance and the others, well, various other people invited along for the hell of it, it is a gathering to promote togetherness and friendship and whatnot. It is not just a party on this day to get drunk and act stupidly and there would be in no way in hell that Sophia Robotnik would have allowed that when she has been putting a lot of effort into the planning over the last month.

John is walking through the crowds of people in the backyard, children end up running in front of him in their adorable little outfits and he just laughs inwardly, because it is reminiscent of when his daughter used to be that age.

"Alexis, settle down." Elias says, as it was his daughter and her cousin who had run past just John just before, "Oh she's just been rambunctious all day."

"All children are like that, lad. Kids will be kids, that's what my mother used to say whenever my sister and I used to be like your step-daughter and niece are right now." John smiles, watching the girls running around playing tips, "How are you, Elias? I don't believe we've spoken in ages, not at least since after two months ago when I had sent my congratulations when your Edward was born and I don't I ended up seeing you at my daughter's 18th… before it was attacked that is."

"It's been fine, a little turbulent at the end of the council and senate year for my cabinet, but none of the less fine." The Mobian king says, "Getting used to having another little baby in the next room hasn't been easy, but we love Ed all the same even if sometimes there are those sleepless nights."

"That's always the way with babies…" the Ferian king says, as he knows what he means, "Now I can only tell that Mephiles and Avira will have an _enjoyable_ time when they end up having their baby… Speak of the devil, Mephiles, my good friend."

Mephiles walks up to the two kings from Mobius and Fera and shakes each of their hands, "John, Elias, it's good to see you both so well. Merry Christmas to you both."

"Likewise, Mephiles." Elias says when they are shaking hands, "I trust that you and Queen Avira are well and the baby fine."

"Yeah, everything's fine, Mary had told us that they're expecting a daughter." The black and blue hedgehog king announces, they both replying with an intrigued 'oh' upon hearing the news, "Needless to say my aunt has all but been excited and counting down the weeks until Avira will be due."

"Of course Sifora would be excited, hell she often told me that she wished that Silver was a girl for some reason, but then again, she's a little like that." John says, then patting his other counterpart and ally in the SO on the shoulder, "Well congratulations for three months from now, lad, you deserve a new start after all that happened in the past. Have you thought of any names?"

"Well, Avira's been the one with the girl names, but I do like the name Natalie for some reason." Mephiles answers, "Let's just hope that she'll listen to me on this one because I wouldn't really think our daughter would be an Alexandra or Cecilia, something like that you know. I know that it'll have to be an official sort of name like Natasha or Nathalia, but anyway."

"Well, when Cath and I had Blaze, she would have either been Amathea the fourth or Cathryn the ninth, but due to my daughter's powers, I guess I got the say in the end." The Calibre king says with a slight smile of pride, "Although she got… Sweet mother of the Ferian Religion, what the devil is that?!"

Sky turns dark above them as the roar of jets and planes and one giant airship hover over the backyard of the estate. Sonic dashing outside to see what the devil is going on with other resistance members who were inside, the insignia indeed of the Ferian Empire and regrettably, it is now that Blaze thinks Silver was right about the carrying the weapons thing,

"Greetings, you resistance scum… Well, well, well it is a good day for you now is it. Dare I say to you a Merry Christmas… At least for when you're still living since, well, my armada will be granting a gift that you'll won't be able to refuse, especially since you'll be on the Goddess' dimensional plain to get it." Nega's voice says from aboard his airship

"Don't people like you know when to cut it a break?!" Sonic yells from on the ground with outrage, everyone in present company agreeing with him on that one

Nega deviously chuckles at the hedgehog's words, "Oh please, foolish hedgehog, I couldn't resist the chance to get you when you least expect it." The tyrant wannabe says as if he is proud of his decisions, "And with my new colleague of mine requiring some actual field work, well, I guess it is my 'take your daughter to work day'."

"Daughter?!" Most of the present company in the courtyard shout with confusion

"Wait, so it is true?" Elias asks John, tilting his head sideward his counterpart and drawing his sword. Remembering what roomers his Minister of Foreign Affairs had brought up a month ago, "Nega has a daughter?"

"It appears so, my good colleague… Ivo, put the droids in combat mode, right now." John replies, taking water from the fountain and they circulating around his hands that glow ice blue and from the ground behind them, battle droids rise out of their holding place under the grounds. Everyone knowing what goes next as they charge their powers and or draw some sort of weapon while empire soldiers parasail down to the ground, "Resistance members, GUN members, Ferian Freedom Fighters and others… ATTACK THOSE EMPIRE BASTARDS!"

The droids take off to the frontline with the resistance members who lurch forward running to meet their enemy. Swords clash and fists (and objects picked up by Psychokinesis-abled) fly through the air. Flames and water is thrown and air is guested through to disarm and to defend against this threat. Sonic spin dashes through the crowd, knowing them over as he passes through. Sally sashes forward to fight with one of the empire warriors, taking them down with punches and she kicks high enough to circulate herself in a flip and land in a crouch, the earth around her taking the force and looking as shattered as glass around her.

"What?" Sally says noticing how the earth has shattered around her, "Did… Did I do that?"

"Look out, Sal!" Elias shouts, leaping over her like leapfrog, both snapping her out of her stupor, he takes out the Empire Soldier that was about to attack her, with clean swipes of his sword, meeting with theirs before they fall before his feet. Elias comes over to his sister and helps her to her feet, "You okay? Even I know that spacing out during a battle is a no-no."

"I don't know." Sally replies, looking to her feet where she stands, moving rocks around with her foot, "Something just happened and the ground…."

"Okay… That's a little odd." Elias says, then looking at the battlefield, "Come on, we'll figure it out later, right now, we have to stop them before they decide to leave here and attack the city."

Sally and Elias run forward toward the crowd of imperial forces running at them, they seem to keep coming in waves and waves, the disposable pawns that they seem to follow the imperial dictatorship's beliefs that are against more than just the Calibre government here. Sally keeps feeling strange as she runs into the action, as if it is a headache throughout her body, pounding with every step she takes. Engaging the empire forces, it only gets worse when she gets hit in the miss of avoidance.

* * *

Sonic looks around after bowling over the empire soldiers, standing at the top of a pole. He looks down for if he can find her… Nega's daughter, the rumoured one to have come, a grand duchess to say the least of what the girl's title would be beside a "lady" in the imperial mess they call the Ferian Empire. He would think that she would be the one who would maybe have some sort of trait to her father, he does not know. He lost sight of Sally while dashing, punching, kicking, and speeding his way through the pandemonium of the moment, before long noting that she is nearby her older brother.

"I can find anyone, but where is this rumoured guest commander?" Sonic says to himself

Sonic hears something hover behind him on a hoverboard, he slowly pivots on his leg to note… _her_…

She brushes hairs out of her fringe, her face hidden under a cloak that drapes off her shoulders behind her battle regalia of blue and gold, "Why, it's that blue hedgehog that is claimed to be the legendary hero who managed the downfall of my father's former ally… Sir Sonic, Prince of Acorn through marriage to the king's sister."

"Oh… Another fangirl to grace my presence although usually they're looking for my brother in law to try and take snippets of his hair and fur." Sonic says, donning his confident smirk, "I'd gladly give an autograph to an enemy of the state such as yourself while they haul your ass to jail. Name please, ma'am, if you may."

"Sara…" She says, lowering her hood to reveal her piercing gaze to the blue hedgehog, "Lady Saraphina Reliagh. Daughter of the soon Emperor of the United Kingdoms of Fera."

She draws her gun and shoots, missing the hedgehog as he soon sped off, she hovers after him, speeding after the hedgehog while shooting toward him. Sonic only manoeuvres away with each time she tries to get him with a bullet. Counting impossible although he is one with the wind, they say that he runs at, no faster than, the speed of sound.

Sonic turns around while running, "Hey, you're as bad as your father. You can't even get me."

"Oh really?" Sara says, raising an eyebrow, "And I assume your father knew an obstacle when he saw one."

"Wha-?" Sonic say, turning around to see him heading toward the wall of the pathway, "Oh shit…"

Sonic crashes over the barrier, too late even for himself to react, landing headfirst to the ground and sliding as his legs catch up, sliding into the other with his legs over his head. Gravity giving way of course as they fall down to the side. Sara lands, admiring the sight of the blue hedgehog stacking amused by the smile on her cold-hearted face.

"Shit… I really have to get back to the simulators…" Sonic says to himself, struggling to pull himself up to his hands and knees, he then hears the click of a gun, looking up to see the emperor's daughter with her gun to his head

"So much for a mighty hero if he collide with a wall and fall to his knees…" Sara smirks, pointing her gun at his head

* * *

On the other side of the battlefield, Elias takes out a soldier with his swords and takes a moment's breath before his eyes cast over to see the sight of the Ferian-Overlander soldier pointing her gun to Sonic, as if she has him surrendering.

"Sally!" Elias yells in urgency, "That crazy bitch has Sonic!"

Sally turns around after taking out two empire people with a kick-leap and a side step punch, landing before turning around to see the same sight her older brother sees, her husband at the mercy of the woman, "Sonic… No… How did… Sonic!"

The aches return, her body welling up while the panic of the moment comes to her. She has never felt this way, never has in all of her years alive and never in the years she has been leading the forefront against the evil that threatens the world. Her fists clench, overcome ad trying not to show what she is feeling…

"You leave him ALONE!" Sally screeches running toward the enemy

She runs, leaping to go over the barrier in the middle of the garden path and time slows as rocks form around her hands to giant fists, as she then hit the empire aligned woman to the side and then lands on her hands and knees, shattering them and sending a shockwave thought the battlefield. As large as an earthquake, it shakes everyone as they either fall to their knees or over on their backs like helpless turtles and a large spike of earth is sent into the sky, right into the middle of the airship. Shaking Nega in the control room as alarms ring out of the damage.

"What in good heaven…?" Nega says, stunned to say the least of what he is feeling at this moment

Sally stands in the middle of a similar crater she had made before, panting with real fear and real worry as she doesn't know what in the hell is going on. She gets up and looks around, noting everyone somewhat affected by what she, she had done, wondering… wondering what she has done. The battle came to a standstill and the spike of rock decades back into the ground from going through the middle of the empire airship.

"Oh my goddess…" Sally says, taking a few steps back and leaning on the fence behind her, "Did… I…?"

Sonic struggles up, feeling a little bruised from the hard stack he had done noticing what has transpired, "Holy… Goddess Cathryn Calibre the first…"

* * *

In the airship, the alarms keep ringing as the airship creaks and shakes from the damage it has done on it, Nega holding onto the balcony as the ship may go down. The doors open behind him and a soldier comes in running, trying not to fall over as the airship is critically damaged to near death.

"Sir, the airship is unstable, we have lost many helicopters and jets to the resistance and General Anavatoia demands that you retreat now before the ship goes down." A soldier reports

"No, we must continue." Nega says, "We must continue on DAMN IT!"

"Sir, your daughter, Lady Sara has been rendered unconscious." Another soldier chimes in, "General Anavatoia is retreating her and demands we leave so she can be treated immediately."

"Sara…" Nega utters, feeling sudden fear as his daughter is amongst the injured. He stays paused for a moment considering his option weather to stay and fight and not heed the parental warnings in his head that something may have happened to his daughter in this fight and may be fatal if not treated or leave now.

"Lord Jonathan?" The first of the soldiers asks, "What are your commands?"

Nega snaps out of his stupor, "We leave, right now. Tell Ana to get her to the base immediately and withdraw the troops. Now darn you before I change my mind!"

"Yes, my lord." The soldier replies, taking off swiftly and telling orders through a communicator on his shoulder.

The ship is then turned around, taking it nice and easy while remaining jets remain on standby if she decides to go down for an immediate evac of everyone on board. Nega looks out the front while hanging on the railing in front of where he stands with an unappeased, disappointed slightly look on his face as he _hates_ defeat. He _hates_ it more than he does the Calibre and anyone who stands in his way more. He looks on mad, as he has gone under defeat once again and a month after his defeat at the hands the Calibre and their army the night he attacked their palace.

"You may have won this time, John… With those petty bastards… But we will meet again and all of you shall die at the hand of the Ferian Empire…" Nega decries, his fists wrapped tightly around the rails with enough force he could pull them from the ground


End file.
